Eugene Ellsworth Landy was an American psychologist known for his unconventional 24-hour therapy and treatment of celebrity clients.
41 Facts About Eugene Landy
2.
Eugene Landy developed an unorthodox 24-hour regimen intended to stabilize his patients by micromanaging their lives with a team of counselors and doctors.
3.
Eugene Landy was discharged within a year due to his burdensome fees.
4.
In 1982, Eugene Landy was re-employed as Wilson's therapist, subsequently becoming his executive producer, business manager, co-songwriter, and business adviser.
5.
Eugene Landy co-produced Wilson's debut solo album Brian Wilson and its unreleased follow-up Sweet Insanity, as well as allegedly ghostwriting portions of Wilson's first memoir Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story.
6.
Eugene Landy continued to act as Wilson's business partner until a 1992 restraining order barred Eugene Landy from contacting the musician ever again.
7.
Eugene Ellsworth Landy was born on November 26,1934, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the only child of Jules C Landy, a medical doctor and psychology professor, and Frieda Mae Gordon Landy, a psychology professor.
8.
At the age of five, Eugene Landy was revealed to have an IQ of 150 after being tested at the University of Pittsburgh.
9.
Eugene Landy dropped out of school in the sixth grade, later claiming to be dyslexic.
10.
Eugene Landy briefly served as Benson's manager and worked odd jobs as a radio producer, promoting records and producing a single for Frankie Avalon.
11.
Eugene Landy earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles in 1964 and a master's degree in the discipline from the University of Oklahoma in 1967, completing his training with a PhD from the latter institution in 1968.
12.
Eugene Landy began developing ideas for his 24-hour treatment program while engaging in postdoctoral work at Rancho Santa Fe.
13.
Eugene Landy attributed his failures to having too little control over their nighttime activities; he tried evening rap groups and made himself available at all hours for talking therapies for their nocturnal anxiety attacks.
14.
Eugene Landy went on to call his new system milieu therapy.
15.
Around 1972, Eugene Landy founded a Beverly Hills clinic, the Foundation for the Rechanneling of Emotions and Education.
16.
Eugene Landy soon began treating many celebrity clients, earning $200 an hour.
17.
Some of Eugene Landy's patients included Alice Cooper, Richard Harris, Rod Steiger, and Gig Young, who died in an apparent murder-suicide along with his wife in 1978.
18.
Eugene Landy was initially hired to treat Brian Wilson by Wilson's wife Marilyn in October 1975.
19.
Beach Boys road manager Rick Nelson later claimed that Eugene Landy had attempted to exert unwelcome artistic control over the group.
20.
Eugene Landy stood off-camera holding signs for Wilson that read "smile".
21.
Eugene Landy said that critics missed the point of this exercise, explaining that Wilson's performance "was a terrible thing" as a one-shot, but if he continued making appearances then he would have gradually overcome his stage fright.
22.
Eugene Landy initially charged a monthly fee of $10,000, which he gradually raised to $18,000.
23.
Eugene Landy recalled confronting Landy at his office with her husband.
24.
Eugene Landy monitored Wilson's drug intake and used the psychiatrist Sol Samuels to prescribe Wilson medication.
25.
Eugene Landy can go anywhere, on his own, anytime he wants.
26.
Eugene Landy goes, 'Well, Brian and I don't have to talk to each other.
27.
Eugene Landy said that three years into their relationship, Landy ordered Wilson to sever ties with her.
28.
Between 1983 and 1986, Eugene Landy charged about $430,000 annually, forcing Wilson's family members to devote some publishing rights to his fee.
29.
Eugene Landy reported that he never received any money, since Wilson had not published any material before the pact was voided.
30.
Eugene Landy was then credited as co-writer and executive producer for Wilson's debut solo album, Brian Wilson, released in 1988.
31.
Sloan later surmised that Eugene Landy had made the claim in order to gain credibility and appease members of the medical community who were questioning why Eugene Landy felt that he was an appropriate songwriting collaborator for Wilson.
32.
Eugene Landy denied accusations that he was involved as a ghostwriter.
33.
Eugene Landy denied the allegations, but later admitted to one of the seven charges which accused him of wrongfully prescribing drugs to Wilson.
34.
Eugene Landy surrendered his psychological license, complying with an agreement made with the state of California, and was not allowed applications for reinstatement for the next two years.
35.
Co-producers of Wilson's solo album said they witnessed no changes, and Eugene Landy's assistants remained with Wilson.
36.
Sol Samuels said this was because Eugene Landy had little direct involvement with Wilson's treatment, and that it was instead the people Eugene Landy hired who continued to regulate Wilson's medication.
37.
In December 1992, Eugene Landy was fined $1,000 for violating the court order when he visited Brian in June for his birthday.
38.
Eugene Landy estimated that, from 1983 to 1991, his fees had cost Wilson approximately $3 million.
39.
Eugene Landy died, aged 71, on March 22,2006, in Honolulu, Hawaii, of pneumonia and lung cancer.
40.
Eugene Landy pushed me beyond my limits and stopped me being fearful of the world.
41.
Eugene Landy was the only guy we knew who could handle Brian because Brian was a monumental case.