Brian has passed away!!!!
rab2591:
rab2591:
[sorry for the double post, but the size of the above image made the formatting of the following text weird]
David Leaf shared this image above of the program from Brian's service on Facebook. Below is his tearjerking writeup about the service. What an incredible selection of music on that program.
“Yesterday, July 9, was one of the most remarkable—and heartbreaking—days of my life.
It was a deeply moving celebration of Brian Wilson’s life, held just steps from home at the United Methodist Church in Westwood. The service—filled with music, memories, and love—was planned with extraordinary care by Elizabeth, Jean, Carnie, the kids, and Darian.
Everything in the church was perfect, including an organist who, before the formal service began, included “Rhapsody in Blue” amongst the hymns
I had the honor of offering the eulogy.
Hearing “Our Prayer,” “God Only Knows,” and “Love and Mercy” in that sacred space—where Carl Wilson’s service was also held—was almost too much to bear.
The pastors spoke with grace. Dakota and Delanie read from Scripture. Dash bravely spoke about his father. Jason Fine shared a beautifully crafted, heartfelt remembrance.
The church was filled with old friends—too many to do more than hug and say hello. Vicki digitally captured the warm moments as they passed by.
Later, at the Beverly Hills Hotel luncheon, Brent Wilson and his team shared a stunning short film about Brian’s life and music. Each guest received a beautifully crafted 24-page commemorative book, adapted from Brian’s final tour program—bravo, Mark London. I had the privilege of contributing the essay inside.
Carnie emceed with warmth and grace. And the stories that followed—from Carnie, Wendy, Daria, Delanie, Danny Hutton, and especially Jerry Weiss—were loving, funny, and true. Jerry’s (often hilarious) reflections from his 16 years on the road with Brian were a special and unique window into the man behind the music.
And in nearly every tribute, one name stood alongside Brian’s: Gloria Ramos—his devoted caregiver of 40 years.
At our table: Danny and Laurie Hutton, Tony and Sheryl Asher, and Van Dyke and Sally Parks. Van Dyke even marked the day with a photo alongside Mike Love.
I had the chance to reconnect with so many dear friends as well as members of the original Beach Boys family—Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, David Marks, Alan Jardine, the ever-elegant Annie Hinsche Wilson Karges, and Justyn Wilson among them.
The SMiLE theme was everywhere—on the napkins, the cupcakes, and in the music. Brian’s band performed a 45-minute set of classics, joined by Marilyn and Ginger from the Honeys, a reunion of Wilson Phillips, Carnie’s daughter Lola, and Wendy’s son Leo. Ginger’s voice was as powerful as ever—what a moment.
Everything, from the program at the church to the cookies with one Brian bite taken out of each of them (take a bow, Debbie) to the music was just so perfectly planned and executed by Elizabeth and Jean and Carnie and all “the kids” and Darian. Throughout the afternoon, a slide show of Brian’s life played on big screens..
A deeply touching detail: in the ballroom, a small piano placed in a sandbox was displayed with a pair of white sneakers beside it—an homage to Brian’s early days composing barefoot in the sand, a symbol of innocence, genius, and the place where SMiLE began.
A personal highlight: Blondie Chaplin’s performance of “Sail On, Sailor.” When he softly sang “Buddy Boy,” his nickname for Brian, it struck a deep chord.
Watching it all with us were five members of the Stockholm Strings ‘n’ Horns who flew in from the other side of the ocean. They brought such youthful joy and energy (as well as their amazing musicianship) to both the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE tour and album. It was so great to see them after all these years.
No one wanted the day to end. It felt—though I hesitate to say it—like the closing of an era. But it isn’t. Brian’s music lives on. It always will.”
Wirestone:
Quote from: Pretty Funky on July 10, 2025, 01:24:08 AM
Quote from: Rocker on July 07, 2025, 05:42:41 PM
Beach Boys Salute in L.A. Brings Three Generations of the Wilson Family Together With Friends for First Tribute Concert Since Brian’s Death
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/beach-boys-tribute-carnie-wilson-family-brian-concert-1236447640/
Interesting. Wasn’t there some speculation Carrie Marks was out of the picture?
Marks said it felt slightly strange taking part in a Beach Boys salute: “I told my wife, it’s kinda weird that I’m here paying tribute to myself! But I didn’t want to miss it.”
I mean, they did file for divorce. Papers easy to find online.
Rocker:
The Beach Boys' co-founder Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82, leaving behind a storied legacy as one of pop music's greatest songwriters and producers.
In this 1988 interview, Wilson talks to Terry Gross about how he approached songwriting early in his career, the influence of drugs on his music, and the role the controversial Dr. Eugene Landy played in Wilson's personal and professional life.
This interview originally aired August 24, 1988.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi563mo6gO8
All Summer Long:
I never posted here when Brian passed, but I did post on Facebook. Though I'm extremely late, I thought I'd place an edited version of my Facebook post (from June) here as well:
Many of you know how important music is to me. It was extremely important for Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys' co-founder, musician, songwriter, and producer extraordinaire. He and his bandmates have gone through/went through six decades of harmony and turmoil together. He overcame an abusive father, hearing loss, mental health issues, drug addiction, the deaths of his younger brothers Dennis and Carl, and much more in his 82 years to become one of the greatest songwriters of popular music, if not all music ever. Who else could turn songs as complex as "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "God Only Knows", "Good Vibrations", and many others into catchy singalong hits that have endured for decades?
I can't remember my earliest memories of Brian and The Beach Boys, but I know that I will always love their music. I had the honor of seeing Brian perform (with his friends: Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine and later addition Blondie Chaplin) twice: in 2017 and on Brian's final tour in 2022. (I have also seen Mike Love and Bruce Johnston's touring band twice: in 2015 and 2019). It is hard to try to put thoughts into words of how important Brian and his music have been to the lives of generations. As others have written, he gave people joy with his music that he did not often have.
I would like to thank my parents for taking me to hear Mike & Bruce play Brian and the band's wonderful catalog of music in 2015 and to see Brian & Al (with Blondie) in 2022. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank my great-uncle and great-aunt for giving me their collection of original 60s pressings of almost every Beach Boys record released during that decade and for taking me to see Brian & Al (with Blondie) in 2017 and Mike & Bruce in 2019. This helped me develop from a casual fan to a hardcore fan of their hits and then to a hardcore fan of their broader catalog as I dove into deep cuts on these albums and more. I would like to thank my guitar teacher, who taught me for 11 years, for making demo recordings, including covers of their hit "Little Deuce Coupe" and deep cut "Goin' to the Beach." He also helped me with a professional demo of "Help Me, Rhonda", which I am still working on at the moment. I've performed some of their songs when I have had a (very rare) gig in the past, at open mic nights, and at performances during college.
Today, I listened to various versions of hits and deep cuts, including "Please Let Me Wonder", "I Get Around", "In My Room", "Sail On, Sailor", "Add Some Music To Your Day", and "The Little Girl I Once Knew". I know I will be playing much more of Brian and the band's music throughout the summer (and of course beyond), especially in preparation for one of my friends and me seeing Al Jardine perform (with members of Brian's band) next month. I am sure it will be emotional for Al, the band, my friend, me, and the rest of the audience as well at that concert and many others.
In the words of former Beatles and Beach Boys "press secretary" Derek Taylor, "Brian Wilson is a genius," and to modify these words slightly, Brian Wilson will always be a genius.
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