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It is with great sadness that I report that Bob Hanes, aka "Beach Boy Bob", aka "Rev. Bob Hanes", passed away on July 5th at 1:15 Pacific time, after a lengthy battle with inoperable liver cancer. Bob's love for Brian Wilson's music was unconditional -- in fact, he called himself an "unabashed Brian Wilson apologist!"
Bob was truly my best friend in this thing they call Beach Boys fandom. I wast first introduced to Bob in 1988 by someone that knew that I had a big Beach Boys collection and was interested in, shall we say, "collector's tapes." I called Bob long distance, and we must have spent four hours on the phone with Bob playing me stuff from his collection! He got such great joy out of sharing the music, and bringing happiness to others through the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. From that point on, we talked on the phone just about every week, although our cross-continent distance prevented a face-to-face meeting. That changed in 2000, when we were both invited to attend the taping of "Brian Wilson Live at the Roxy," and were able to meet in person. We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning playing Brian Wilson and Beach Boys outtakes.
When "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" was released, Bob's attitude toward the music changed a bit. He told me, "I wanted to live to see SMiLE released, and I've accomplished that. My job is done." And in some ways it was. Bob began to spend more time on his other passion, track-and-field coaching, and less on the Beach Boys.
Bob became very private in the last months of his illness. I'd been following his decline, and I'd lob a call in every few weeks, but many times those calls remained unanswered. Last week I got a call from him. The cancer had spread, and he was on Morphine to make him comfortable, and although he didn't come out and say it, I knew he was calling to say goodbye. I just told him that I loved him.
For those of you that don't believe in a superior being or in the spirit world, let me share this with you -- I woke up this morning, and I was going to call my country club to make a golf tee time. I dialed the phone, it rang a couple of times, and a female voice answered and said, "Hello?" I immediately knew that I had accidentally called Bob's house and gotten his wife Kandy. Being that it was 6AM on the west coast, I hung up, embarrassed and puzzled at why I would have called that number (a "541" area code instead of a "704" area code). A few minutes later I checked my e-mail, and at the top of the queue was a note from Kandy from several hours earlier letting me know that Bob had passed away. I called Kandy back, and we shared a few minutes and a few tears talking about Bob. She wasn't surprised that God, or Bob, or Karma, or whatever you want to call it, had made me call her a few minutes earlier.
Put a Beach Boys or Brian Wilson album on for Bob today. Rest in Peace, my friend.
Lee
Bob was truly my best friend in this thing they call Beach Boys fandom. I wast first introduced to Bob in 1988 by someone that knew that I had a big Beach Boys collection and was interested in, shall we say, "collector's tapes." I called Bob long distance, and we must have spent four hours on the phone with Bob playing me stuff from his collection! He got such great joy out of sharing the music, and bringing happiness to others through the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. From that point on, we talked on the phone just about every week, although our cross-continent distance prevented a face-to-face meeting. That changed in 2000, when we were both invited to attend the taping of "Brian Wilson Live at the Roxy," and were able to meet in person. We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning playing Brian Wilson and Beach Boys outtakes.
When "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" was released, Bob's attitude toward the music changed a bit. He told me, "I wanted to live to see SMiLE released, and I've accomplished that. My job is done." And in some ways it was. Bob began to spend more time on his other passion, track-and-field coaching, and less on the Beach Boys.
Bob became very private in the last months of his illness. I'd been following his decline, and I'd lob a call in every few weeks, but many times those calls remained unanswered. Last week I got a call from him. The cancer had spread, and he was on Morphine to make him comfortable, and although he didn't come out and say it, I knew he was calling to say goodbye. I just told him that I loved him.
For those of you that don't believe in a superior being or in the spirit world, let me share this with you -- I woke up this morning, and I was going to call my country club to make a golf tee time. I dialed the phone, it rang a couple of times, and a female voice answered and said, "Hello?" I immediately knew that I had accidentally called Bob's house and gotten his wife Kandy. Being that it was 6AM on the west coast, I hung up, embarrassed and puzzled at why I would have called that number (a "541" area code instead of a "704" area code). A few minutes later I checked my e-mail, and at the top of the queue was a note from Kandy from several hours earlier letting me know that Bob had passed away. I called Kandy back, and we shared a few minutes and a few tears talking about Bob. She wasn't surprised that God, or Bob, or Karma, or whatever you want to call it, had made me call her a few minutes earlier.
Put a Beach Boys or Brian Wilson album on for Bob today. Rest in Peace, my friend.
Lee
