Brian Wilson seen at the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival, performing the classic Beach Boys album "Pet ... [+]
Former Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson's long and well-documented struggle with mental illness has incurred a recent flare-up that has forced him to postpone his June 2019 tour dates.
Breaking the news to ticket holders in a note on his website, Wilson divulged feeling "mentally insecure" and pledged to "rest, recover and work with [his] doctors" until he is fit to perform on this summer's Pet Sounds & Greatest Hits live tour.
The affected chunk of the tour encompasses 12 shows between June 7 and 23 in the East Coast and Midwestern U.S. The kick-off performance was set for Friday, June 7 in Lynn, Mass.
No shows were planned for July, but the tour is still on schedule to commence with three engagements August 9-11 in Waterloo, N.Y.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Wilson, 76, has battled mental illness for over 50 years and has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression. He was also diagnosed in 1984 as a paranoid schizophrenic, with doctors finding evidence of brain damage from Wilson's prolonged and excessive use of psychedelic drugs like LSD. (Wilson has warned against the dangers of such drugs in the decades since.)
In today's note, the famed singer-songwriter explained that the decision to postpone this month's shows was hard to make, but ultimately necessary.
"It is no secret that I have been living with mental illness for many decades," Wilson wrote. "There were times when it was unbearable but with doctors and medications I have been able to live a wonderful, healthy productive life with support from my family, friends and fans who have helped me through this journey... [Lately] I've been struggling with stuff in my head and saying things I don't mean, and I don't know why. It's something I've never dealt with before and we can't quite figure it out just yet."
Also in the note, which can be read in full via the link below, Wilson shared that he'd had three "successful" back surgeries in the past year but has felt "strange" since his last operation.
"We're not sure what is causing it, but I do know that it's not good for me to be on the road right now so I'm heading back to Los Angeles," he continued.
The Pet Sounds & Greatest Hits Tour booked Wilson in mostly intimate, small-town venues with seating capacities ranging from 1,411 (Burlington, Vt.'s Flynn Theatre) to 5,700 at Hard Rock Live in Atlantic City, N.J.
Wilson's postponements will also impact the twin June 20 and 21 concerts at Nashville's 1,844 seat Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Read Wilson's full, unaltered note from his website here.
