Latest news with #Surfin'U.S.A.
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Beach Boys Almost Hit No. 1 Following Brian Wilson's Death
The Beach Boys are remembered as one of the most successful pop groups of all time, but in some circles, the music the group created has long been classified as rock. That was certainly the case when the outfit first emerged — and it still is today in some respects. The band's music has always straddled the line between pop and rock, and that genre-blurring blend is evident on the Billboard rankings this week. As fans across the United States pay tribute to songwriter and producer Brian Wilson following his passing, The Beach Boys land on one rock tally with multiple cuts. The group nearly secures its debut No. 1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this frame, as "God Only Knows" launches at No. 2 on Billboard's list of the bestselling tracks in the U.S. that fall under the rock genre. The band is only kept from the summit by Oliver Anthony Music's "Scornful Woman," which starts its time on the tally in first place. The Beach Boys collect two top 10 hits on the Rock Digital Song Sales ranking this frame, appearing inside the highest tier for the first time. "God Only Knows" debuts at No. 2, while "Good Vibrations" kicks off in fifth place. Two other cuts by The Beach Boys also reach the Rock Digital Song Sales list. At the moment, the legendary act fills more than a quarter of all available spots on the tally. Coming in behind "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" are "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Sloop John B," which start at Nos. 12 and 13, respectively. The Rock Digital Song Sales chart didn't exist when The Beach Boys first broke out and earned many of the band's biggest wins that are still remembered to this day. This week, the celebrated musical act earns its first four placements on the tally. One additional track by The Beach Boys debuts on a Billboard chart, though not the rock-specific list. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" only makes it to the Digital Song Sales tally, which is not limited by genre. That track opens at No. 18, coming in behind "God Only Knows," which appears at No. 7 on that roster.
American Military News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Appreciation: Brian Wilson, dead at 82. ‘I never knew what 'genius' meant,' he told us
The term 'tortured genius' has been too liberally applied to a number of great and not-so-great artists over the years, but Brian Wilson is one of the few who truly qualified for both designations. The announcement of his death Wednesday at the age of 82 silences one of the most transcendent musical voices of his generation — a deeply troubled man-child whose best music exuded joy and beauty with a unique combination of sophistication and wide-eyed youthful wonder. 'I never knew what 'genius' meant. I think it means 'clever.' I don't know,' Wilson said in 2016 during my sixth and most recent San Diego Union-Tribune interview with him. Both as the mastermind of the Beach Boys and in his best work as a solo artist, Wilson demonstrated a singular degree of melodic ingenuity, emotional depth and meticulous craftsmanship. He was able to create gorgeous sonic soundscapes despite — and, perhaps, in response to — the physical and mental travails he underwent for much of his life. Wilson's father, Murry, battered Brian psychologically and physically, including hitting his then-teenaged son in the head so hard with a two-by-four piece of wood that the younger Wilson lost his hearing in one ear. Later in his life, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and manic depression. Years of drug abuse also left their mark on Wilson. So did the weighty expectations placed on him as a result of the Beach Boys' multimillion-selling records and the lavish critical praise he received. 'Yeah, the success I achieved was expensive for a couple of reasons,' Wilson said in a 1991 Union-Tribune interview. 'One, it made it difficult for me to live up to what I had achieved. … It's like when you plant seeds earlier in your life: 'I'm going to be successful in the recording industry; I'm gonna be a good singer,' and you achieve that. 'Then what happens? You're going, 'Hey, what's wrong here?' Then one day it occurs to you that the seeds you planted were a little too big, that you're not going to be able to get the goal that you set for yourself, because you set it too high. That happens to a lot of people. And your encore is more of the same, and pretty soon you go crazy and you say, 'I can't do this. What am I? I can't do this'.' Classic songs What Wilson did do, both during and — at times — after his 1960s heyday, will continue to stand the test of time. The list of classic songs he wrote or co-wrote includes 'Surfin' U.S.A.,' 'California Girls,' 'In My Room,' 'Good Vibrations,' 'God Only Knows,' 'Don't Worry Baby,' 'I Get Around,' 'The Warmth of the Sun,' 'Surfs Up,' 'Sail On, Sailor,' 'Fantasy Is Reality/Bells of Madness,' 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times' and a good number more. Also on that list is the gorgeous, deeply melancholic 'Summer's Gone,' a standout number from the Beach Boys' final album with Wilson, 2012's 'That's Why God Made the Radio.' And, of course, the entire 'Pet Sounds' album, the landmark 1966 opus that has been ranked ever since as one of the greatest recordings of the 20th century. Wilson had mixed emotions when he reflected on the making of 'Pet Sounds' in our 1991 interview. 'I use(d) drugs to create 'Pet Sounds,' and they do help me and it was an experience for me. Although, at the same time, I was very dismayed at the fact that not too long afterwards, I was smoking (marijuana), I was using drugs much more profusely than I did with 'Pet Sounds.' 'And I began to grow up, because I said, 'If I can create 'Pet Sounds' on drugs, I can create something greater on drugs.' So I made 'Good Vibrations' on drugs; I used drugs to make that. I was on drugs. I learned how to function behind drugs and it improved my brain, it improved the way I was, it made me more rooted in my sanity. 'The only thing is a couple of side effects, like paranoia and b.s. like that,' he continued. 'But you can get over that, you know, simply by not overdoing it. If you do it in moderation, you see, I took drugs in moderation (and) I was able to create, I could create. It gave me the ability — carte blanche — to create something, you know what I mean? 'And that's where it's at; drugs aren't where it's at. But, for me, that's where it was at in 1966. And I got off the stuff. I said, 'Hey, I don't need this anymore'.' San Diego Zoo visit The cover photo for 'Pet Sounds' was taken at the San Diego Zoo. 'I can't remember who came up with the idea. I think I did,' said Wilson in 2016, while acknowledging his zoo visit was a one-off. 'Have I ever been back? No. Never again.' Wilson's influence on several generations of musicians and fans is a matter of record. His admirers include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Weezer, Ireland's Prefab Sprout, Fontaines D.C. and such San Diego artists as Cindy Lee Berryhill and Blink-182. Another San Diego-bred band, Nickel Creek, drew great inspiration from Wilson's legendary 1966 and 1967 recording sessions for his wildly experimental album 'SMilE.' 'There is such freedom, such curiosity and wonder permeating every single track on 'SMiLE',' said Nickel Creek's Chris Thile in a 2023 Union-Tribune interview about 'Celebrants,' his band's then-new album. 'Because (Wilson) didn't ever finish 'SMiLE,' it's such a springboard to one's own musical imagination and possibilities. The greatest pieces of art are empowering in that way. They kind of rocket you into creativity. I think any number of brilliant pieces of art feel gloriously unfinished in that way. So, we sat up late at the beginning of the writing process for 'Celebrants' and used 'SMiLE' as a springboard…' Wilson was a Kennedy Center honoree and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. His life was chronicled in the 2015 biopic, 'Love & Mercy,' in which two actors — Paul Dano and John Cusack — portrayed him. Wilson was pleased with the casting, he told me, but not with the depictions of some of his drug use. 'The actors were cast very well,' Wilson said. 'They hung out with me to get to know me. I can't wait to see how the movie does (with audiences). I didn't give (the actors) any advice, (but) John Cusack did (get) my sense of humor pretty good. It's a fun movie. I had a really good time watching it. 'The dark parts, where I took drugs, that was hard to watch.' 'A little intimidating' The Beach Boys' first headlining concert in San Diego was in 1964 at Russ Auditorium. Wilson's most recent area show with the band was at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista for the group's short-lived 50th anniversary tour in 2012. As a solo artist, he performed here at an array of venues, including Humphreys, the San Diego County Fair Grandstand Stage and the Rady Shell, where his final San Diego show took place Aug. 31, 2021. Wilson looked frail and often sounded ragged at his Shell concert which saw him in the motorized wheelchair he had started using a few years earlier. His final concert was in 2022. Last year, following the death of his wife, Melinda, he was placed into a conservatorship. Between 1991 and 2016, I was fortunate to do six interviews with Wilson, three in person and three by phone. As the years progressed, he went from being open and talkative — if sometimes paranoid and unsure of himself — to being terse and withdrawn. His eyes still sparkled at times, even as his inner light seemed to be fading. But he would suddenly come alive when he connected with a question, just as he still could briefly come alive on stage when he connected with one of his timeless songs. Our first interview, 34 years ago, took place at Wilson's Malibu home and in a limousine taking him to the UCLA campus. Our most recent interview was on the ninth floor of the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood. It was the same Capitol Tower that the Beach Boys first visited in 1962 to sign their contract with Capitol Records. When I asked Wilson to recall his first time at there, he replied: 'It was a little intimidating. All my heroes had recorded here, Nat 'King' Cole, the Four Freshmen …' Wilson was just 20 at the time. His goals, beyond making records, were undefined. 'I didn't have any notion. I had no idea,' he admitted. 'The goal was to take it one year at a time. (After 1963) I wanted to do rock 'n' roll music. … I didn't take my fame very seriously, you know. But (success) did put pressure on me to record good music. And, yeah, it became difficult. After 'Pet Sounds,' I wanted to try and do something that would be just as good, or better. 'I want to do the best I can.' Happily, when he was at the peak of his powers, Wilson's best was often better than nearly anyone else's. His earthly travails were soul-sapping and then some. But, like millions of listeners, Wilson found salvation in his music and he shared it with the world. Or, as he told me in 1991: 'Music does wash away the dust of everyday life; it cleanses the soul, too. It also does subliminal things to people.' ___ © 2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brian Wilson, Heart and Soul of The Beach Boys, Dies at 82
Brian Wilson, whose 'teenage symphonies to God' made him the poet laureate of adolescent heartbreak as a founding member of The Beach Boys, has died. He was 82. Wilson's family announced his death on social media on Wednesday. More from The Hollywood Reporter Paul McCartney Pays Tribute to Brian Wilson: "He Had That Mysterious Sense of Musical Genius" Apple Music Head Calls It "Crazy" Other Streaming Platforms Offer Music for Free The Beach Boys Remember Brian Wilson: "He Was the Soul of Our Sound" 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' they wrote in an Instagram post. 'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.' Wilson, who started the band in Hawthorne, California, with brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and schoolmate Al Jardine, wrote such timeless classics as 'Surfin' U.S.A.,' 'In My Room,' 'God Only Knows,' 'Caroline, No,' 'California Girls,' 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'Good Vibrations.' He was the mastermind behind Pet Sounds, regarded as one of the greatest albums of the '60s rock era, and an acknowledged influence by Paul McCartney himself on The Beatles magnum opus, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Wilson demonstrated an uncanny gift for harmonic invention and complex vocal and instrumental arrangements. 'A lot of love went into our singing, our harmonies, the making of those records,' he said in 2003. Born on June 20, 1942, at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, Brian Douglas Wilson was the eldest of three boys of Audree Neva and frustrated songwriter Murry Wilson. The family moved to nearby Hawthorne when he was 2. Wilson was a child prodigy who had an epiphany hearing George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' as a toddler. Just a few years later, it was discovered he had hearing loss in his right ear, a condition that has often been ascribed to Murry dealing him a blow to the head, though this was never confirmed. When he was just 9, Brian sang 'The Old Soldier,' a song written by Love, then 10, at a family gathering. A natural athlete who played football, baseball and ran track and field in high school, he would teach Carl and Dennis harmony parts and played piano, analyzing the harmonies of his favorite singing group, The Four Freshmen, painstakingly re-creating them note for note on his keyboard. Enlisting Love and Carl, he launched Carl and the Passions, performing a set at a high school arts program that included covers of songs by Dion and the Belmonts, impressing a young classmate in the audience, Jardine. The three Wilson brothers, Love and Jardine first appeared as a music group in the summer of 1961, calling themselves The Pendletones, using the emergency money they'd been given when their parents went on a weekend vacation to rent musical instruments, working up an arrangement for their first song, 'Surfin',' the subject suggested by Dennis, the only member who actually did surf. Murry, who fancied himself a songwriter, encouraged and prodded his sons, who cut a few tunes at Keen Recording Studios at the behest of his music publisher, Hite Morgan. They changed their name to The Beach Boys, suggested by Russ Regan, according to Brian. Released on the local X and Candix labels, 'Surfin'' became a regional hit and led to the band signing with Capitol Records by Nik Venet, a young exec, who oversaw the success of 'Surfin' Safari,' their first single for the label, which peaked at No. 14, followed by 'Surfin' U.S.A.,' their Chuck Berry homage, and 'Surfer Girl,' all released in 1962 and 1963. The group also celebrated California's obsession with cars in 'Shut Down,' '409,' 'Little Deuce Coupe' and the pursuit of happiness in the sun ('Be True to Your School,' 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' 'I Get Around'), many of them recorded at Hollywood's United Western Recorders, where Brian made the decision to doubletrack the group's vocals. Brian was officially credited as producer on the Surfer Girl album, their third, before tackling hot rods on Little Deuce Coupe, their fourth, when, with the departure of guitarist David Marks, meant Brian had to abandon his production work to tour. His song 'Surf City,' co-written with Jan Berry of fellow surf group Jan and Dean, was his first No. 1 single, which angered Murry. Run down mentally and physically, Brian stopped performing live with the group to concentrate on writing and production, with Glen Campbell, then Bruce Johnston, called to replace him. After being introduced to the joys of marijuana, Brian finished the Today! and Summer Days albums, while his first acid trip resulted in 'California Girls,' which would climb to No. 3 on the pop charts. In late 1965, Brian began working on Pet Sounds with lyricist Tony Asher, recording the instrumentation with the famed Wrecking Crew (that was captured in the 2015 motion picture biopic Love & Mercy). The rest of the group, particularly Love, expressed their dissatisfaction with the new direction; it sent Brian into a psychological tailspin, which culminated in the aborted sessions for his masterwork, Smile, and a fire he set in the studio. Songs like 'Caroline, No' and 'Good Vibrations' have become classics, the latter giving the band its third No. 1 single after 'I Get Around' and 'Help Me, Rhonda,' selling more than a million copies. With the dissolution of Smile, Brian and the band relocated to the living room of his Bel-Air mansion for the reworked Smiley Smile, the soul-flavored Wild Honey and the muted Friends, as The Beach Boys' commercial success began to wane. He became addicted to cocaine, entered a psychiatric hospital and contributed sporadically as a songwriter, including 'Do It Again,' which reached No. 1 in the U.K. Brian picked up the pace on Sunflower before the band signed with Reprise Records, which resulted in his first 'comeback' album, Surf's Up, in 1971, which climbed to No. 29 in the U.S., the band's best chart showing in four years. The following year, he reluctantly agreed to travel with the band to The Netherlands, where they recorded Holland, which produced 'Sail on, Sailor,' a collaboration with Smile cohort Van Dyke Parks, which became a minor hit. Following Murry's death in 1973, Brian went into seclusion, existing on drugs and overeating, building a sandbox in his home for his piano, lying in bed all day, sometimes emerging in only a bathrobe. In 1975, he came under treatment by the radical therapist Eugene Landy, contributing to a new Beach Boys album ,15 Big Ones, that prompted the latest in a series of 'Brian's Back' ad campaigns. He made a solo appearance on Saturday Night Live in November, 1976, then followed up with the all-original Brian album, Love You, which came out under The Beach Boys moniker, with its playful lyrics citing Johnny Carson and Phil Spector. By late '76, Landy was dismissed over a dispute on his reported $20k monthly fee, and Brian's mental condition wavered, prompting the doctor's return with a more stringent, radical program in 1982, at the behest of brother Carl, Love and Jardine. Signing a deal with Sire Records' Seymour Stein, Brian released his self-titled solo debut, which included 'Love & Mercy,' and was generally well-received by critics and fans despite the omnipresence of Landy, who kept feeding him pharmaceuticals during the recording. He wrote his 'faux' memoir, Would It Be Nice: My Own Story, in 1991, in which he spoke of his troubled childhood with Murry and his lost years suffering from mental illness. A 1995, Don Was-directed documentary, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, resulted in a soundtrack, while Orange Crate Art represented a collaboration with pal Parks. Brian teamed with Chicago-based producer Joe Thomas for Imagination in 1998 and began to perform live for the first time in decades. In 2004, he set out to finish the long-aborted Smile with keyboardist Darian Sahanaja and Parks, playing the finished version in concert on Feb. 20, 2004, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Brian Wilson Presents Smile hit No. 13 on the Billboard 200, with Wilson winning his first Grammy for 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow' as best rock instrumental. He undertook a brief tour in 2006 to mark the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds with Jardine. Brian released That Lucky Old Sun in 2008, followed by a series of U.S. and U.K. concerts, followed by Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, in 2010 and In The Key Of Disney, in 2011, results of a deal with Disney's Hollywood Records. To mark the band's 50th anniversary, they reunited in 2012 for U.S. and overseas dates, then released a new album, That's Why God Made The Radio, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts, their highest ever. That reunion dissolved when Brian and Mike Love once more squabbled, with the latter taking his own version of The Beach Boys — mainly him and Johnston — back on the road. In 2013, he won his second Grammy for the 2011 release of The Smile Sessions, for best historical album. Love & Mercy premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014, with Paul Dano and John Cusack portraying Brian during his Pet Sounds era and then again, in the throes of his treatment with Landy, to positive reviews. Brian then marked his return to Capitol Records by releasing his 11th solo album, No Pier Pressure, in April 2015, featuring cameos by Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, FUN's Nate Reuss, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward and Kacey Musgraves. Brian was inducted with The Beach Boys into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, was named a BMI Icon in 2004 and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 2015 for best original song for 'One Kind Of Love,' from Love & Mercy. Wilson's wife Melinda Kae Ledbetter, whom he married in 1995, died in January 2024. The two shared five adopted children, including three daughters, Daria Rose, Delanie Rae and Dakota Rose, and two sons, Dylan and Dash Tristan. Wilson also has two daughters — singers Carnie and Wendy Wilson, of Wilson Phillips — from a previous marriage to Marilyn Rovell. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
MTV Lebanon
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- MTV Lebanon
Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dies at age 82
Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows" in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82. Wilson's family announced his death in a statement on the singer's website. "We are at a loss for words right now," the statement said. "We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world." The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship. Starting in 1961, the Beach Boys put out a string of sunny hits celebrating the touchstones of California youth culture - surfing, cars and romance. But what made the songs special was the ethereal harmonies that Wilson arranged and that would become the band's lasting trademark. Wilson formed the band with younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in their hometown, the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. They went on to have 36 Top 40 hits, with Wilson writing and composing most of the early works. Songs such as "Little Deuce Coupe," "Surfin' U.S.A.," "California Girls," "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Help Me, Rhonda" remain instantly recognizable and eminently danceable. But there were plenty of bad vibrations in Wilson's life: an abusive father, a cornucopia of drugs, a series of mental breakdowns, long periods of seclusion and depression and voices in his head that, even when he was on stage, told him he was no good. "I've lived a very, very difficult, haunted life," Wilson told the Washington Post in 2007. In May 2024, a judge ruled the 81-year-old Wilson should be put under a conservatorship after two longtime associates had petitioned the court at his family's request, saying he could not care for himself following the death of his wife, Melinda. By 1966 touring had already become an ordeal for Wilson, who suffered what would be his first mental breakdown. He remained the Beach Boys' mastermind but retreated to the studio to work, usually without his bandmates, on "Pet Sounds," a symphonic reflection on the loss of innocence. The landmark "Good Vibrations" was recorded during those sessions, though it did not make it on to the album. Though "Pet Sounds" included hits such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Sloop John B" and "God Only Knows", it was not an immediate commercial success in the United States. There also was resistance to the album within the band, especially from singer Love, who wanted to stick with the proven money-making sound.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson dies at 82: Tributes pour in from music icons
Brian Wilson, the legendary singer, songwriter, and producer who helped redefine American pop music as co-founder of the Beach Boys, has died at the age of 82. His death was confirmed on Wednesday, prompting a wave of tributes from fellow musicians and artists who hailed him as one of the most important figures in modern music. Wilson was the driving creative force behind the Beach Boys, crafting hits like Surfin' U.S.A., California Girls, I Get Around, Good Vibrations, and God Only Knows. Born in Inglewood, California, in 1942, Wilson's early musical development was shaped by his father, who encouraged him to play instruments from a young age. By his teens, Wilson was an accomplished pianist and formed the Beach Boys in 1961 with his brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Their sound came to define the California surf music era and earned them 36 entries in the Billboard Top 40 over nearly four decades — an unmatched record for an American group. Despite commercial success, Wilson struggled with mental health issues. Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, he faced years of auditory hallucinations and paranoia. His condition led to an extended period under the care of controversial therapist Eugene Landy, who was eventually removed from Wilson's life after legal action. Wilson's creative highs included the 1966 album Pet Sounds, considered one of the most influential albums of all time. Though his planned follow-up, Smile, was shelved in 1967, Wilson later revived the project as a solo release. He continued to make music into his later years, releasing his final album, No Pier Pressure, in 2015. His death drew immediate reaction from artists across generations. 'Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius,' wrote Bob Dylan. 'Rest in peace dear Brian.' Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian. — Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) June 11, 2025 Beach Boys bandmate Al Jardine reflected on their lifelong bond, saying, 'I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were... I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis.' Carole King called Wilson 'my brother in songwriting,' and Metallica's James Hetfield praised God Only Knows as one of the best-written songs ever. Actor John Cusack, who portrayed Wilson in the biopic Love & Mercy, described him as 'an open heart with two legs... with an ear that heard the angels.' Sean Ono Lennon called Wilson 'our American Mozart.' The maestro has passed - the man was a open heart with two legs - with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight . RIP Brian. Brian wrote down the lyrics of love and mercy for me - — John Cusack (@johncusack) June 11, 2025 Wilson is survived by his daughters Carnie and Wendy from his first marriage to Marilyn Lovell, and adopted daughters Daria and Delanie from his second marriage.
