The most influential member of the Beach Boys was leader Brian Douglas Wilson. Brian was born on June 20, 1942 at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood to proud parents Audree and Murry Wilson. “When Brian was born, I was one of those young, frightened fathers” Murry Wilson once said, “but I just fell I love with him, and in three weeks he cooed back at me.”1 When Brian was ne

In March of 1979, shortly after Brian’s release from Brotman Memorial Hospital, the Beach Boys next album, L.A., was released. The album was a dismal effort and even angered some Beach Boy fans. They even booed the disco song “Here Comes the Night” at the Radio City Music Hall. The album sold over 400,000 copies worldwide but only reached number 100 on the album charts. Brian’s drug use was far from over however. His renewed drug use was blamed on Dennis who had been spending a great deal of time with Brian. As they worked together on songs Dennis motivated Brian. Dennis gave Brian McDonald’s hamburgers for every song he worked on and cocaine for every song he wrote. By 1982, Brian’s weight had reached over 300 hundred pounds. He was pressured to enter St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica to help him shed the weight. Brian tried to resist but was taken to St John’s for a seventy-two hour involuntary stay.

The last core member of the Beach Boys was Al Jardine. Alan Charles Jardine was born on September 3, 1942 in Lima, Ohio to parents Charles Jardine and Virginia Louise Loxley. The Jardines lived just outside of Lima on Rural Route #5. As a child, Alan’s grandfather taught him how to play the clarinet. Alan was a handsome young man with blue eyes and brown hair, but at the age of nineteen, had only reached a minimal five feet four inches. Some said Alan had an elflike quality that made him “cute.” In 1955, the Jardine family packed up and moved to California where father Charles was to manage a blueprinting plant for the Scott Railroad Company. Alan attended Hawthorne High where he met the Wilson brothers and also joined a folk group called the Islanders. After high school, Al attended El Camino College after his graduation in June of 1960; he and Brian were in the same graduating class. Eventually Alan ran into Brian on campus and they decided to form a band. The band included brothers Dennis and Carl and Cousin Mike and they called themselves the Pendletones.

The Beach Boys next album, Surfin’ USA, was released in March of 1963. The title track spent seventeen weeks on the national charts, and eventually peaked at number three. The album spent seventy-eight weeks on the charts and peaked at the number two position. The album also included five instrumentals and had several hit singles.

By 1983, Dennis Wilson’s life was a complete mess. He was a homeless alcoholic who was still addicted to cocaine. On December 28, 1983, Dennis went diving with friend Bill Oster. While diving in the cold waters of the Marina Del Rey, Dennis drowned. Dennis’ tragic death helped to bring the Beach Boys back together. In 1985, the Beach Boys recorded together again. The album was self-titled and included top forty hit “Getcha Back.” However, it would be the last Beach Boys album of the 1980’s.

On April 12, 1969 the Beach Boys formally sued Capitol Records for underpayment of royalties and fees. The Beach Boys alleged that Capitol owed over $622,000 in royalties to the band, and $1,418,827.92 to Brian for producing fees. The lawsuit ruined the seven-year relationship between the Beach Boys and Capitol and left the boys without a recording contract.

Drugs had been a problem for many of the Beach Boys, not only Brian. Dennis had been exposed to some mild drugs during the 60’s and 70’s. He had developed some what of a drinking problem but on New Year’s Eve of 1977, he tried heroin for the first time. This first try led to a lifelong struggle with addiction. While feeling the effects of heroin, Dennis became very destructive at times. On one occasion he covered the inside of a $70,000 1976 GTB Ferrari with charcoal lighter fluid and burned it to the ground. Dennis brought heroin along on their tour through Australia and New Zealand. By this time Brian had been clean of drugs for some months. However, Dennis was a terrible influence and while on tour Brian snorted heroin with him breaking his c

Some topics in this essay:
Beach Boys, School Brian, beach boys, KFWB KDAY, Pet Sounds, Dumb Angel, Warner Brothers, Hear You’d, Menace” Dennis, Corps Hymn”, Fun” Brian, pet sounds, boys album, warner brothers, beach boys album, capitol records, weeks charts, “heroes villains”, smiley smile, album titled, brian wilson, released beach boys, beach boys released, “fun fun fun”, beach boys recorded,