Former Beach Boys member Brian Wilson might be planning to retire following his upcoming concerts in London later this fall, reports This Is London.
The 68-year-old singer admits that touring is "very hard work" and that he still suffers from the same stage fright that plagued him in the ’60s, at the height of the Beach Boys’ popularity.
"I’m always afraid just before I go on stage because I’m not sure how the concert’s going to work," he said. "As I get older it gets harder for me. But when I’m sitting down at the keyboard and my band’s behind me, I can do it."
When asked if he thought about retiring, Wilson replied with an emphatic: "Oh God, yes. Another year, maybe. This could be the last time I play here. I’m going to miss it but I’m getting a little bit old for touring."
If true, it will be Wilson’s second such retirement from the spotlight. During the mid-1960s, the Beach Boys founder refused to tour with the band, suffering from depression.
Wilson admits that the voices still plague him to this day. "What the voices say is still pretty much the same, negative things – ‘You’re going to die’, or, ‘You better watch out’ – life-threatening kinds of things. Performing helps, but I’ll still have the voices there when I’m on stage. They’re always with me."