Explore one most influential figures in modern music history - Brian Wilson leader of The Beach Boys. Known for layered orchestrations and an innovative approach to studio recording, Brian influenced artists like The Beatles, Elton John, Queen, The Eagles and more. Incredibly, Brian created one of rock’s great lost albums - Smile begun in 1966 - but it was shelved for 37 years. Decades later... our guest today, David Leaf, helped bring it to the world. You'll learn:

1) Brian's abusive upbringing and how it shaped him and his music
2) How 5 teenagers went to global stardom 6 months after forming
3) How Brian influenced The Beatles musical direction
4) The incredible story of how Brian overcame a corrupt psychologist controlling his life
5) How our guest helped rescue a "lost album" long anticipated in rock history

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Guest Bio
David Leaf is the author of Smile: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson, chronicling Brian Wilson’s lost album masterpiece which was shelved for 37 years before release. He also directed the Brian documentary Beautiful Dreamer and teaches music history at UCLA. David has won a Peabody award for powerful and intelligent story-telling.

Billy Joel is the fourth best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, yet most fans aren’t familiar with the extremely challenging and fascinating journey he took from little Jewish boy piano prodigy on Long Island to rock and pop icon of the 1970s and ’80s. In this episode:

1. How Billy's broken home challenged his childhood
2. His intense battles with mental illness and addiction
3. The part-time job that led to one of his biggest hits
4. How his wife became a key part of charting his career
5. Overcoming a corrupt manager that threatened his livelihood
6. The resurrection of his career with one of the most successful set of gigs ever

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Subscribe for more compelling music history with our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels

Guest Bio
Fred Truers, author of Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography interviewed extensively a variety of people in Joel's circle to create a compelling and honest portrait of the man. Fred is a long-time feature writer for such publications as Rolling Stone and the LA Times.

A top 5% of podcasts in the world, Garage to Stadiums is a podcast for true music fans — the ones who want more than just headlines and hype. This show is for listeners who care about the full story behind the artists: their childhoods, musical influences, early gigs, personal battles, journey to stadium-level fame and the drama in between.

Why are we different? In each episode host Dave Anthony features guests who know their stuff and bring real insights from their time with the performers — from respected rock journalists to documentary filmmakers.

If you want smarter music commentary and behind-the-scenes stories you won’t hear anywhere else, subscribe now and get your backstage pass to music history.