The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll
band. First formed in 1961, they gained
popularity for their close vocal harmonies and
lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of
surfing, girls and cars.
The group initially comprised singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson, his
brothers, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine.
This core quintet were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
1988. The Beach Boys have been called "America's Band" and have had
thirty-six top 40 hits (the most of any U.S. rock band), including four number one singles.
As an eight-year-old, Brian
Wilson says his "young life
was already being shaped
and influenced by music...
None affected me more
than the music I heard
when my father played the
family piano... I watched
how his fingers made
chords and memorized the
positions".
Until the age of sixteen, Brian
shared a bedroom with his two
brothers. One night he taught
his brothers a song called
"Ivory Tower" and how to sing
the background harmonies.
"We practiced night after night,
singing softly, hoping we
wouldn't wake our Dad." For
his sixteenth birthday, Brian
received a reel-to-reel tape
recorder. He learned how to
overdub, using his vocals and
those of Carl and his mother.
Family gatherings brought the Wilsons in contact with cousin Mike Love. When
they decided to officially form a band, they asked Mike to join them. Al Jardine, a
high school classmate who played guitar was the last to join.
Mike Love encouraged Brian to
write songs and he also gave the
band its first name: The
Pendletones. The Pendletones
name was derived from the
Pendleton woolen shirts popular
at that time. In their earliest
performances, the band wore the
heavy wool jacket-like shirts,
which were favored by surfers in
the South Bay. In 1962, the
Beach Boys began wearing
blue/gray-striped button-down
shirts tucked into white pants as
their touring "uniforms." This was
the band's signature look through
to 1966.
On October 3, 1961, The Pendletones recorded twelve takes of "Surfin" . A
small quantity of singles was pressed. When the boys eagerly unpacked
the first box of singles, they were surprised and angered to see their band
name had been changed to "Beach Boys". Apparently a young promotion
worker had decided on the change to more obviously tie the group in with
other surf bands of the time. The limited budget meant the labels could not
be reprinted.
The summer of 1965, the Beach Boys released "California Girls”, a smash
hit which reached number one on the charts. In December they would
score an unexpected #2 hit with the single "Barbara Ann", which Capitol
Records released as a single without input from any of the Beach Boys. It
has become one of their most recognized hits over the years.
The Beach Boys
continue to tour, with a
backing band
accompanying original member Mike Love.
From 1980 through 1982, The Beach Boys performed Independence Day concerts on
the National Mall in Washington, D.C., attracting crowds of 750,000. Vice President
George H. W. Bush said of The Beach Boys, "They're my friends and I like their music".
President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan were also fans of The Beach Boys.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In 2001, the group
received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine
ranked the Beach Boys #12 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
