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American Masters Premieres “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road”

Features original music written by Wilson and Jim James, and interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Nick Jonas, Jakob Dylan, Gustavo Dudamel and others

  • Christina Zeiders

 Barb Bialkowski

Father of the “California Sound,” musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and co-founder of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson is known for his novel approach to composition and recording and is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant musicians of the 20th century.

Watch Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road on WITF TV Tuesday, June 14 at 9pm, or stream it on-demand for free with the PBS Video app through July 7.

American MastersBrian Wilson: Long Promised Road follows Wilson on a drive through Los Angeles with his longtime friend and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine. As Fine drives and Wilson chooses the journey’s soundtrack, they reflect on the formative and creative periods in Wilson’s life and revisit the places that shaped his career.

Watch Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road on WITF TV Tuesday, June 14 at 9pm or stream it for free through July 7 with the PBS Video app.

The road trip provides an intimate look into Wilson’s memories and is bolstered by memorable concert and studio footage, along with interviews with his admirers and those close to him, including co-founder of The Beach Boys Al Jardine, record executive Don Was, conductor and musical director Gustavo Dudamel, and musicians Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Nick Jonas, Jim James, Jakob Dylan, and the late Taylor Hawkins.

The documentary also introduces Right Where I Belong, an original song written and performed by Wilson and Jim James.

Wilson’s professional career began in 1961 with the founding of The Beach Boys. He served as the band’s songwriter, producer, co-lead vocalist, bassist, keyboardist, and de facto leader. By the mid-1960s, he had written or co-written more than two dozen U.S. Top 40 hits, including Surf City, I Get Around, Help Me, Rhonda and Good Vibrations.

Wilson has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Beach Boys and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s received a Kennedy Center Honor, two Grammy Awards, and the Ivor Novello Award.

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road celebrates his achievements, but Wilson also shares intensely personal glimpses into his struggles with mental health and drug abuse.

Watch Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road on WITF TV Tuesday, June 14 at 9pm, or stream it on-demand for free with the PBS Video app and online through July 7. WITF Passport members have extended access to American Masters documentaries, and to an always-on library of quality public television programs.

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