After we originally dropped this episode, incredibly Brian Wilson died later in the week. In this repeat episode explore one of the 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.

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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.

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Incredibly, U2 began as a band of barely-formed teenagers—two 14-year-olds and two 15-year-olds—at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland. Just 4 years later, they were signed to a major label, and not long after that, they were reshaping rock on a global scale with music driven by faith, politics, and social unrest. U2 would go on to sell more than 175 million albums, never standing still—shifting from raw post-punk urgency to towering arena anthems to daring electronic reinvention. This is a band that survived by constantly changing. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The bizarre early incident that nearly ended U2 before it truly began
• The heartbreaking childhood tragedies that shaped two of its members
• The unlikely spiritual and political roots behind their lyrical mission
• The global live performance the band openly hated—yet became legendary
• The intense internal struggles over where their music should go next
• How a frontman with barely a high school education became a global humanitarian voice

Want to learn more music history?
Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels

Guest Bio:
Bradley Morgan, author of U2: Until the End of the World. Bradley also has a book U2's Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America about their breakthrough album, 1987's The Joshua Tree, a release that put them at the top of international album charts.

Follow the Show / Receive bonus content:

1. Follow GTS on Apple or Spotify podcasts to be alerted when our next episode drops
2. Follow Garage to Stadiums (GTS) on social channels
3. Download the Official Garage to Stadiums playlists for each episode on Apple Music or Spotify
4. Visit GaragetoStadiums.com for bonus content including concert footage, transcripts and other interesting facts.