Ten Things We Learned From Brian Wilson Ask Me Anything

Yesterday, legendary musician Brian Wilson participated in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit. The co-founding member of The Beach Boys responded to a slew of questions as he prepares to release a new album, No Pier Pressure, and embark on a tour in support of the LP.

Some of the topics Wilson touched up were his days in The Beach Boys, his fondness for The Beatles and his television watching habits. We’ve rounded up a list of ten things we learned from the Q&A session.

1. Brian has no lack of love for The Beatles

When asked about his favorite band, Wilson wasted no time in responding “The Beatles.”

2. Wilson chats with Paul McCartney for time to time

When asked whether he keeps in contact with Macca, Wilson responded “I talk to Paul about once a year. We get caught up on music & family.”

3. Brian will take a shot at Mike Love when prompted

There still seems to be no love lost between Beach Boys co-founders Brian Wilson and Mike Love. When asked “what’s under Mike Love’s baseball cap?”, Wilson responded “a bald head.”

4. Wilson’s upcoming tour may be his last

When a British fan asked about the potential for shows in the U.K., Wilson responded “Well…as I’ve said before this could be my last tour but of course I will try to get to the UK.”

5. Brian doesn’t look back fondly on his days of heavy drug use

When asked “If you could give any advice to yourself at age 18, what would it be?”, Wilson responded “don’t take drugs!”

6. Wilson’s first meeting with Bob Dylan took place in an unusual setting

When asked if he had a favorite Bob Dylan song, Wilson responded “Blowin’ In The Wind i like the lyrics. I met Bob Dylan in an emergency hospital in Malibu..he accidentally had his thumb broken. It was a cool place to meet him. I’m a fan of his for sure.”

7. Brian is an avid fan of TV game shows

When asked if he is a fan of TV game shows and if he’d like to be a contestant on one, Wilson responded “Wheel of Fortune I love game shows. I watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy everyday. I would love to go on but I don’t think I’d be very good haha.”

8. Wilson has mixed feelings on the Barenaked Ladies song that shares his name

When asked what he thought the first time he heard Barenaked Ladies’ “Brian Wilson,” Brian responded “I was honored that they would use my name but it embarrassed me a little bit because I was lying in bed a lot haha.”

9. There’s no more projects like Smile sitting in Wilson’s closet

When asked if there are “Any other Smile’s sitting in your closet waiting to be released?”, Wilson responded “No, Smile was a one of a kind” about the 2004 release of the scrapped Beach Boys album that was originally supposed to follow Pet Sounds.

10. Former President George W. Bush considers himself a Brian Wilson fan

When asked “who was your most memorable fan?” , Wilson responded “When I was in Washington DC about 8 years ago receiving the Kennedy Center Honor, President Bush and I met -I said ‘Nice to meet you’ and he said ‘I’m one of your fans.’ I was thrilled”