Bruin Affiliates Luncheon

“God Only Knows” The Story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the California Myth

For nearly two decades, UCLA adjunct professor David Leaf has shared his passion and experiences for the greatest music of the rock era with his students to inspire their dreams. For this event, he will share the story that he lived, one that he tells his students was born when he was in college. His dream? To move to California, write a book about Brian Wilson, become his friend, and help him finish SMiLE, the lost “holy grail” album of rock history. Spoiler alert: It all happened… and David will share his journey that included landmark films on John Lennon, the Bee Gees, and James Brown, and winning a Peabody Award for being one of the writers on the 9-11 telethon.

David Leaf is an award-winning writer, director and producer, the creative visionary behind such critically acclaimed films as The Night James Brown Saved Boston, The U.S. vs. John Lennon, the Grammy-nominated Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE, and The Bee Gees: This Is Where I Came In. As an author, Leaf is best known for the Grammy-nominated The Pet Sounds Sessions, and his groundbreaking Brian Wilson biography, The Beach Boys & The California Myth. He has been teaching undergraduate courses, such as The Reel Beatles and Good and Bad Vibrations at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.