With worldwide hits, including “Good Vibrations” and “Surfin’ USA,” you were not fully living in the ’60s if you had not listened to the Beach Boys. Started as a family band of brothers living in California, their love for music would turn them into one of the most famous bands in the world, touring the globe, selling out shows, and making instant hits.
The band, first known as the Pendletones, consisted of brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Dennis’s passion for surfing and spending time in the water off Manhattan Beach inspired the rest of the non-surfing band members to write songs about this sport, using a happy, catchy, and original California sound. This smooth style sparked the beginning of their fame with their first single, “Surfin’,” which would become their first rock act with Capitol Records. With Brian’s writing and natural leadership, Dennis’s drumming, and all their iconic voices, it was no wonder this band dominated the ’60s and ’70s.
While the Beach Boys songs are known for their breezy, easy-going, fun songs, the Wilson boys’ life was the exact opposite. Their father and early manager, Murry, physically, verbally, and psychologically abused his sons. Murry was the one to pressure Dennis, Brian, and Carl to start in music. Being their manager only escalated the pressure, creating an unsafe and forced environment for all the members. The band ended up firing Murry in 1964, one of their most successful years. Even without Murry physically being with the band, his intense musical pressure did not leave the boys, causing breakdowns and burnout for the members.
Brian Wilson left touring in 1964 due to mental health struggles and the immense stress of fame, leaving the band to replace him with Bruce Johnston until their “Brian’s Back!” tour in 1976. Though not present with the band on tour, Brian never stopped making music. Pushing his music capabilities, Brian worked with Love to create the albums Pet Sounds, which was a mix of bittersweet songs said to inspire many other famous artists, and Smile, which was also melancholic and so sad that Love even complained about the lyrics. When Pet Sounds was not a huge success, and Smile got scrapped and not released, Brian was left devastated and exhausted. Amid all of this, Brian still created their most famous hit “Good Vibrations,” which would be a number one hit and win them three Grammy nominations. Brian remained depressed and burned out, eventually isolating himself from the band as he continued to struggle with his mental health.
The middle Wilson brother, Dennis, was known for his wild life, which caused tensions and struggles for himself and the band. Dennis suffered from extreme alcoholism, which led him to leave the band for a short time at the bandmates’ order. He clashed with the other Beach Boys, had to have a restraining order, and went through five marriages, including one to Love’s daughter. With these issues taking a huge toll on the whole band, Dennis was kicked off tour until he finally addressed his alcoholism in 1983. Realizing that he was out of money and could not pay for childcare, Dennis entered a rehab facility. Sadly, later that year on December 28, at the marina where he had once owned a boat, Dennis dived into 58-degree water and did not resurface. He was found dead an hour later at only 39.
With Dennis deceased, Brian cut out of the band due to intense mental health issues and drug usage, and members leaving and rejoining, the remaining original members of the Beach Boys had to carry on. Brian, Love, Jardine, Johnston, and David Marks, who played guitar on some of their songs, got back together to play at the Grammy Awards. They then went on tour and made a new album, That’s Why God Made the Radio. Meanwhile, Brian created many solo albums, collaborating on songs with his daughters, who formed the popular band Wilson Phillips with Brian’s daughters, Carnie and Wendy, and Chynna Phillips, daughter of The Mamas & the Papas’ members John and Michelle Phillips, Mike Love also released Looking Back with Love, and Al Jardine released his first solo album in 2010.
Through all this struggle, burnouts and breakdowns, issues and horrors, the Beach Boys still found a way to make some of the biggest hits and become some of the best performers in the world. Despite their hardship and heartbreaks, they were still able to make some of the happiest, summery, and catchiest classics to ever be played. During their rocky journey, the band received a Grammy, was put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was able to sell over 100 million records around the world. Their songs and talent have created new genres, inspired many artists and bands, and influenced the world of surf culture. Even through trials and tribulations, the Beach Boys showed that music can truly spread love and joy.
