Brian Wilson

“My mother used to tell me about vibrations. I didn't really understand too much of what that meant when I was just a boy. To think that invisible feelings, invisible vibrations existed scared me to death.”

“I have to tell you that J.S. Bach was easily the greatest musical innovator in the history of the world. He was so advanced for his time. There's a spiritual depth to his music. You can listen to it and it's like meditation.”

“You want to know my real pleasure? Food. I love chocolate. I can't get enough chocolate. I can't help it. But my biggest pleasure of all is exercise. I really get off on exercise.”

“Any article's good. Long as it's publicity, I think that's all that matters. I think it's advancement for my career.”

“You know, Rolling Stones songs all sound kind of the same.”

“I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried, but I just can't seem to find a melody.”

“I was very, very financially secure my whole life. I have been very lucky to say that.”

“It's like when a guy gets a divorce from his wife. You part ways. That's what I did with The Beach Boys.”

“I'm just a shy and retreating kind of person. Sometimes I get in a real talkative mood - but not very often.”

“I earned my famous name.”

“I get off on hearing other people's voices. I like voices: they're my favourite things on records.”

“Summer means happy times and good sunshine. It means going to the beach, going to Disneyland, having fun.”

“The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Phil Spector. Those were my idols.”

“I'd earned over a million dollars by the time I was old enough to vote.”

“The audiences in the U.K. like me more than in America.”

“I listen to oldies but goodies stations, '60s and '70s music.”

“To wear a floral shirt is an experience.”

“The keyboard is my whole life. My life is centered around either sitting at my keyboard or driving my car. Those are the two most important things, more than anything else. Being at my keyboard, it's the happiest time for me.”

“I think I'm a vocal genius, not a musical genius. I like background vocals. I consider myself a voice, not a singer. A voice is a sound, and singing is what you do with that sound.”

“I like the piano - I'm always about 15 feet away from a piano.”