The Roxy Theatre

The Roxy
The Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip
Location	9009 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California 90069
Coordinates	34°05′27″N 118°23′17″W / 34.090765°N 118.388029°W / 34.090765; -118.388029
Type	nightclub
Genre(s)	rock
Opened	September 23, 1973
Website	http://www.theroxyonsunset.com

Steve Morse live with the Dixie Dregs at the Roxy, August 28, 1999.

The Roxy Theatre (often just The Roxy) is a famous nightclub, on the Sunset Strip, in West Hollywood, California. The Roxy is owned by Lou Adler and Adler's son, Nic, who operates the club.^[1]

History[link]

The Roxy was opened on September 23, 1973, by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher. They took over the building previously occupied by a strip club owned by Chuck Landis called the Largo. (Adler was also responsible for bringing the stage play The Rocky Horror Show to the United States, and it opened its first American run at The Roxy Theatre in 1974, before it was made into the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show the next year.)

Neil Young and his band The Santa Monica Flyers played the Roxy for the first week it was open. Only three months later, the original Genesis lineup with Peter Gabriel played several consecutive days at the Roxy, a run that some band members and many fans consider to be amongst their finest performances (due partially to the intimate atmosphere and good acoustics of the venue, as well as the legendary reputation of "Hollywood" amongst performers around the world).

Paul Reubens, then a struggling comedian, introduced his Pee-wee Herman character in a raunchy revue here in 1981 that included other aspiring comics including Phil Hartman and Elayne Boosler.

The small On The Rox bar above the club has hosted a wide variety of debauchery in its history. The bar was a regular hangout for John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper and Keith Moon during Lennon's "lost weekend" in 1973-74 and hosted parties arranged by Heidi Fleiss in the 1980s.

According to LA.com, On The Rox "may be forever known as the club where John Belushi partied before fatally overdosing".^{[citation needed]} That may sound like a sordid reason for the club's fame, but it only underscores the hard-partying reputation that befits a room equipped with two stripper poles.

Recordings and performances[link]

Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention recorded most of their celebrated Roxy and Elsewhere album during December 1973 at The Roxy. Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded Live at the Roxy here on May 26, 1976. Van Morrison recorded a radio show in November 1978 that was released as a promo LP Live At The Roxy. The concert scene for the 1979 movie "Rock N Roll High School", featuring a performance by The Ramones, was filmed at the Roxy in December 1978.

9 songs from Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's "Live/1975-85" album were recorded at the Roxy in the mid-late 1970's.

Warren Zevon's live album, Stand in the Fire, was recorded during five shows he played at The Roxy in 1980. The Red Hot Chili Peppers played their first show with drummer Chad Smith, at the venue on January 22, 1989.

Two live tracks "Pick it up (and put it in your pocket)" and "Can't Stop The Show" recorded on video at the Roxy in 1987 were included on "'Show Business Is My Life,' the 1995 compilation movie by Stan Ridgway

NOFX's live album I Heard They Suck Live!! was recorded here on January 8–9, 1995.^[2] Michel Polnareff's live album, Live at the Roxy, was recorded in 1995 and released in 1996. Social Distortion released a live album, entitled Live At The Roxy on June 30, 1998, that contained material recorded on April 7–9, 1998.

In 1999, Stan Ridgway held a live show and party announcing the release of his then brand new solo album, 'Anatomy.' The majority of his live set included numbers from the new album.

The CD/DVD album Collision Course by Linkin Park and Jay-Z, comes with a DVD that contains behind the scene footage and the second take of all the Collision Course's songs at the Roxy Theatreon July 18, 2004. The Mighty Boosh performed their second stint of American shows at The Roxy Theatre in July 2009. The Roxy Theatre is featured in the 2008 video game, Midnight Club: Los Angeles.

Sum 41 shot the video for their song Screaming Bloody Murder at the Roxy on April 3, 2011.

The Royal Pirates held their fourth public Californian showcase at the Roxy on August 5-6, 2011.

Fuse TV taped the live performance of Red Hot Chili Peppers for “Fuse Presents: Red Hot Chili Peppers Live from the Roxy” on August 22, 2011.

KoRn shot the performance part of the video for their song Narcissistic Cannibal at the Roxy on September 27th, 2011.

Ariana Grande performed a sold out concert at the Roxy on February 19,2012

Jessie J has also played a show at The Roxy on April 9, 2012 to a crowd of 500 including Jason Derulo and band mates from The Wanted.

See also[link]

Los Angeles portal

• Rainbow Bar and Grill
• Whisky a Go Go
• Sunset Strip
• Troubadour
• Viper Room

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Roxy official website

The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.

Brief history[link]

The premises had formerly been used as a warehouse to serve the Covent Garden wholesale vegetable market. In 1970 they were converted to a late-night bar called the Chaguaramas Club. At that time it was owned by record producer Tony Ashfield, who had several hits with 70s reggae star John Holt, with whom he formed a company called Chaguaramas Recording Productions, probably after Chaguaramas Bay in Trinidad.^[1]

The Roxy was started by Andrew Czezowski, Susan Carrington and Barry Jones. The main entrance was on street level where you would walk into a small bar and seated area. Downstairs there was a small stage, bar and dance floor. The intimacy of the club had a feel to it similar to The Cavern Club in Liverpool where The Beatles had performed early on in their career.

In December 1976, Czekowski, Carrington and Jones organised three gigs at the Roxy. They financed the venture with borrowed money (Jones, a musician, pawned his guitar to stock the bars, and hire sound equipment, etc.). The first show, on 14 December, was Generation X, a band Czekowski managed. The second on the following night was The Heartbreakers. The third, on 21 December, featured Siouxsie and the Banshees and Generation X. However, it was The Clash and the Heartbreakers that headlined the official gala opening on January 1, 1977.

Don Letts was the resident DJ at the club and he was instrumental in encouraging punk rockers to embrace reggae.

In 1977 Harvest Records released an album Live at the Roxy WC2, featuring some of the regular acts who performed there, that made the top 20 in the UK. A further live album was released in May 1978 of lesser known acts such as the UK Subs, Open Sore, Crabs and the Bears. Since the late 1980s, a number of previously unreleased recordings of Roxy gigs from the late 1970s have been released as live albums including the Buzzcocks (Trojan, 1989), The Adverts (Receiver, 1990), X-Ray Spex (Receiver, 1991), and The Boys (Receiver, 1999).

The anarcho-punk band Crass featured the Roxy as the subject of one of their most well known tracks, Banned from the Roxy.

The doors of the club were shut for the last time in April 1978. Today the site is the flagship store for the swimwear brand Speedo.

DJ Letts recorded many of the band performances in 1977 at the Roxy, some of which were released in 1992 as The Punk Rock Movie.

Bands that played at The Roxy in its first 100 Days[link]

Aside from five bands mentioned above in connection with the December 1976 gigs and the gala opening, other bands that appeared there in the first four months of the club's life (January 1977 to April) included:^[3]

References[link]

Sources[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Coordinates: 51°30′53″N 0°07′35″W / 51.5147°N 0.1265°W / 51.5147; -0.1265

Roxy Theatre or Roxy Theater may refer to:

• RKO Roxy Theatre in Rockefeller Center, New York City, aka the Center Theatre
• Roxie Theater, 1909 movie theater in San Francisco
• Roxy Community Theatre in Leeton, New South Wales, originally called the Roxy Theatre
• Roxy Theatre (Atlanta), Georgia
• Roxy Theatre (Clarksville, Tennessee)
• Roxy Theatre (New York City), New York City
• Roxy Theatre (Renton), Washington
• Roxy Theatre (Saskatoon), Saskatchewan, Canada
• Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood), California
• Roxy, a multiplex in Mumbai

See also[link]

• Roxy (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Chris Cornell (born Christopher John Boyle; July 20, 1964) is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1991. He is known for his wide vocal range, spanning B1-G5 in full-voice, and up to E6 in falsetto,^[1][2] as well as his powerful vocal belting technique. He was the founder and frontman for Temple of the Dog, the one-off tribute band dedicated to his former roommate, Andrew Wood. He has released three solo studio albums, Euphoria Morning (1999), Carry On (2007), and Scream (2009). Cornell was ranked 4th in the list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" by Hit Parader.^[3] He performed the theme song to the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), "You Know My Name." Chris Cornell also released his first live solo album entitled "Songbook" in November, 2011.

Childhood and early life[link]

Cornell was born and raised in Seattle, Washington and attended Christ the King, Catholic elementary school^[4] and Shorewood High School. His parents are Ed Boyle (a pharmacist from an Irish Catholic background) and Karen Cornell (an accountant from a Jewish background).^[5][6] He has five siblings: older brothers Peter and Patrick, and younger sisters Katy, Suzy, and Maggie. Peter, Katy and Suzy all performed in the band Inflatable Soule in the 1990s. Peter is currently the frontman for the New York-based rock band Black Market Radio. Katy performs as lead vocalist for the Seattle band Happy Hour Hero.

Cornell spent a two-year period between the ages of nine and eleven solidly listening to The Beatles after finding a large collection of Beatles records abandoned in the basement of a neighbor's house. Cornell was a loner; however, he was able to deal with his anxiety around other people through rock music.^[7] Before becoming a successful musician, he worked at a seafood wholesaler and was a sous-chef at a restaurant named Ray's Boathouse.^[8]

In the early 1980s, Cornell was a member of a cover band called The Shemps that performed around Seattle.^[9] The Shemps also featured bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Following Yamamoto's departure from The Shemps, the band recruited guitarist Kim Thayil as its new bassist.^[9] Cornell and Yamamoto stayed in contact, and after The Shemps broke up Cornell and Yamamoto started jamming together, eventually bringing in Thayil to join them.^[9]

Recording career[link]

1984–1997: Soundgarden[link]

Soundgarden was formed in 1984 by Cornell, Thayil and Yamamoto with Cornell originally on drums and vocals. In 1985, the band enlisted Scott Sundquist as the drummer to allow Cornell to concentrate on vocals.^[10] The band's first recordings were three songs that appeared on a compilation for C/Z Records called Deep Six. In 1986, Sundquist, who by that point had a wife and a child, decided to leave the band and spend time with his family.^[9] He was replaced by Matt Cameron, the drummer for Skin Yard, who became Soundgarden's permanent drummer.

	"Flower" noicon "Flower" was the only single released from Ultramega OK. The song's intro features Kim Thayil blowing across his guitar strings.
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Soundgarden signed to Sub Pop, releasing the Screaming Life EP in 1987 and the Fopp EP in 1988 (a combination of the two was issued as Screaming Life/Fopp in 1990). Though the band was being courted by major labels, in 1988 they signed to SST Records to release their debut album, Ultramega OK (1988), for which they earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance in 1990.^[11] The band subsequently signed with A&M Records, becoming the first grunge band to sign to a major label. In 1989, the band released their second effort, and their first for a major label, Louder Than Love. Following the release of Louder Than Love, Yamamoto left the band to finish his Master's degree in Physical Chemistry at Western Washington University. He was replaced by former Nirvana guitarist Jason Everman. Everman was fired following Soundgarden's tour supporting Louder Than Love. In 1990, the band was joined by a new bassist, Ben Shepherd.

Thayil, Cornell, Shepherd and Cameron displayed on the disc of the Soundgarden album Down on the Upside (1996).

Along with Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden became one of the most successful bands from Seattle's emerging grunge scene in the early 1990s. With Shepherd, the new line-up recorded Badmotorfinger in 1991. The album brought the band to a new level of commercial success, and Soundgarden found itself amidst the sudden popularity and attention given to the Seattle music scene. Badmotorfinger included the singles "Jesus Christ Pose", "Outshined", and "Rusty Cage". The three singles gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations, while the videos for "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" gained considerable airtime on MTV. The song "Jesus Christ Pose" and its music video was the subject of widespread controversy in 1991, and the video was removed from MTV's playlist. "Rusty Cage" was later covered by Johnny Cash on his 1996 album, Unchained. It also appeared on the fictional radio station Radio X on the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and in the 32-bit version of Road Rash. "Room a Thousand Years Wide" was released previously as a single in 1990, but not to promote the album. It was released (with the song "HIV Baby") as a 7" through Sub Pop's Single of the Month club a full year before the release of Badmotorfinger. The song was re-recorded for this album. Badmotorfinger was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992.^[11] It was also ranked number 45 in the October 2006 issue of Guitar World on the magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time.^[12]

Superunknown became the band's breakthrough album. Upon its release in March 1994, Superunknown debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.^[13] The album launched several successful singles, including "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun", and granted Soundgarden international recognition. Superunknown achieved quintuple platinum status in the United States,^[14] triple platinum status in Canada,^[15] and gold status in the United Kingdom,^[16] Sweden,^[17] and the Netherlands.^[18] Rolling Stone gave Superunknown four out of five stars. Reviewer J.D. Considine said Superunknown "demonstrates far greater range than many bands manage in an entire career." Considine criticized "Black Hole Sun" and "Half", stating that the former is "not a very good song" while the latter "is the virtual definition of a B-side."^[19] Jon Pareles of The New York Times said that "Superunknown actually tries to broaden its audience by breaking heavy-metal genre barriers that Soundgarden used to accept." He added that "Soundgarden...want[s] something different from standard heavy metal."^[20] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A. He said, "Soundgarden is pumped and primed on Superunknown, and they deliver the goods." He praised it as a "hard-rock milestone-a boiling vat of volcanic power, record-making smarts, and '90s anomie and anxiety that sets a new standard for anything called metal."^[21] The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995.^[22] Two singles from Superunknown, "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman", won Grammy Awards, and the music video for "Black Hole Sun" won a MTV Video Music Award and a Clio Award.^[11][23] Superunknown was ranked number 336 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,^[24] and "Black Hole Sun" was ranked number 25 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest songs of the '90s.^[25]

	"Burden in My Hand" noicon "Burden in My Hand" was the second single released from Down on the Upside. The song was written by Cornell and blends acoustic and electric instrumentation.
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The band's final album was 1996's self-produced Down on the Upside. The album spawned several singles, including "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand", and "Blow Up the Outside World". The album was notably less heavy than the group's preceding albums, and marked a further departure from the band's grunge roots. Soundgarden explained at the time that it wanted to experiment with other sounds.^[26] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said, "Few bands since Led Zeppelin have so crisply mixed instruments both acoustic and electric."^[27] However, tensions within the group arose during the sessions, with Thayil and Cornell reportedly clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become the band's trademark.^[28] Despite favorable reviews, the album did not match the sales of Superunknown.^[14] In 1997, Soundgarden received another Grammy nomination, for the lead single "Pretty Noose".^[29] Due to tensions within the band, reportedly due to internal strife over its creative direction, Soundgarden announced it was disbanding on April 9, 1997. In a 1998 interview, Thayil said, "It was pretty obvious from everybody's general attitude over the course of the previous half year that there was some dissatisfaction."^[30]

1998–2000: Solo career[link]

In 1998, Cornell began working on material for a solo album on which he collaborated with Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider of the band Eleven. The album, entitled Euphoria Morning, was released on September 21, 1999. The album proved commercially unsuccessful although the album's single "Can't Change Me" was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards.^[31] Euphoria Morning includes "Wave Goodbye", Cornell's tribute to his late friend Jeff Buckley. It has been noted that Euphoria Morning is influenced by Buckley's songwriting and distinctive vocal style. He also contributed the song "Sunshower" (a bonus track on the Japanese release of Euphoria Morning) to the soundtrack of the 1998 film, Great Expectations, and a reworked version of the track "Mission", retitled "Mission 2000", was used on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Mission: Impossible II. In 2000, Cornell embarked on a tour in support of the album.

2001–2007: Audioslave[link]

Cornell performing with Audioslave at the 2005 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Audioslave was formed after Zack de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine and the remaining members were searching for another vocalist. Producer and friend Rick Rubin suggested that they contact Cornell. Rubin played the remaining Rage Against the Machine band members the Soundgarden song "Slaves & Bulldozers" to showcase his ability. Cornell was in the writing process of a second solo album, but decided to shelve that and pursue the opportunity to work with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk when they approached him. Morello described Cornell: "He stepped to the microphone and sang the song and I couldn't believe it. It didn't just sound good. It didn't sound great. It sounded transcendent. And... when there is an irreplaceable chemistry from the first moment, you can't deny it."^[32] The quartet wrote 21 songs during 19 days of rehearsal and began working in the studio in late May 2001.^[33][34]

Their debut album, Audioslave, released in November 2002, spawned hits such as "Cochise", "Like a Stone" and "Show Me How to Live", and has reached triple platinum status in the United States. The band was nearly derailed before the album's release; Cornell was going through alcohol problems and a slot on the Ozzfest tour was canceled.^[8] During this time, there was a rumor that Cornell had checked himself into drug rehabilitation. He later confirmed it in an interview with Metal Hammer that was conducted from a clinic payphone.^[35] In a San Diego CityBeat article, Cornell explained that he went through "a horrible personal crisis" during the making of the first record, staying in rehab for two months and separating from his wife.^[36] The problems were ironed out and he has remained sober since this time. The band toured through 2003, before resting in 2004 to record their second album.

Audioslave's second album, Out of Exile, was released in May 2005 and debuted at number one on the U.S. charts. The album has since gone on to achieve platinum status. The album features the singles "Out of Exile", "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", and "Doesn't Remind Me". Cornell admitted to writing his most personal songs ever on this album, influenced by the positive changes in his life since 2002.^[37] He also described the album as more varied than the debut and relying less on heavy guitar riffs.^[36] Critics initially described Audioslave as an amalgamation of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden,^[38] but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, noted that they had established a separate identity. The album was received more favorably than Audioslave's debut; critics noted Cornell's stronger vocals, likely the result of quitting smoking and drinking,^[39] and pointed out that Out of Exile is "the sound of a band coming into its own."^[40] Allmusic praised the album as "lean, hard, strong, and memorable."^[41] The lyrics, however, were still a common complaint; musicOMH.com wrote that Cornell's lyrics "continue to border on the ridiculous."^[42] On May 6, 2005, Audioslave played a free show in Havana, Cuba.^[43] Audioslave became the first American rock group to perform a concert in Cuba, playing in front of an audience of 70,000.^[44] The band traveled to Havana on May 4 to interact with Cuban musicians.^[45] Cornell commented: "Hopefully, this concert will help to open the musical borders between our two countries." The 26-song set concert was the longest the band had ever played.^[46]

In early 2006 the band returned, recording their third album as they had written most of the material during the tour. The band released the album, titled Revelations, in September 2006. Revelations was influenced by 1960s and 70s funk and R&B music.^[47] The first two singles were "Original Fire" and "Revelations". Two of the songs from the third album, "Shape of Things to Come" and "Wide Awake" were also prominently featured in Michael Mann's 2006 film, Miami Vice, prior to the release of the album. Despite the exposure to other forms of media and the positive critical buzz for their third album, Audioslave did not tour behind the release. They went into hiatus to allow Cornell to complete "You Know My Name", the theme song for the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale, and Morello to pursue his own solo work under the moniker of The Nightwatchman.^[48]

All of Audioslave's lyrics were written by Cornell, while all four members were credited with writing the music. Their songwriting process was described by Wilk as "more collaborative" and "satisfying" than Rage Against the Machine's, which was "a battle creatively." Cornell, for his part, saw Soundgarden's songwriting method as inferior to Audioslave's.^[49][50] Cornell's lyrics were mostly apolitical; Audioslave's Morello referred to them as "haunted, existential poetry."^[51] They were characterized by his cryptic approach, often dealing with themes of existentialism,^[52] love, hedonism,^[53] spirituality and Christianity.^[51] Cornell's battle with addiction to prescription drugs and alcoholism was a defining factor in the writing and recording process. Even though the singer admitted that he was "never able to write effectively" while drinking,^[54] and attended rehab after recording the debut album, Morello stated that Revelations was "the first record [Cornell] didn't smoke, drink or take drugs through the recording."^[55] However, Morello said: "Chris was stone sober during the making of our Out of Exile album. Chris was also sober during the making of Revelations and prior to recording he gave up smoking as well. I apologize for any confusion or concern that was stirred up by the original article. Sobriety can be a matter of life or death and Chris' courage in maintaining his health for years has been an inspiration."^[56]

News about Cornell's departure emerged in July 2006, when insiders stated that after the third album he would split for a solo career. The singer immediately denied the rumors, stating: "We hear rumors that Audioslave is breaking up all the time. ... I always just ignore [them]."^[48] On February 15, 2007, Cornell officially announced his departure from Audioslave, stating that "Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band Audioslave. I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors."^[57] As the other three members were busy with the Rage Against the Machine reunion, and Morello and Cornell had each released solo albums in 2007, Audioslave was officially disbanded.^[58]

2007: Solo revival[link]

Cornell and composer David Arnold collaborated on the song "You Know My Name", which Cornell co-wrote and performed and which accompanies the opening titles for the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale.^[59] "You Know My Name" is the first theme song since 1983's Octopussy to use a different title than the film, the first ever sung by a male American, and the first ever title theme song that did not appear on the soundtrack album. Cornell is the first male performer since a-ha in 1987's The Living Daylights. It is the fourth title theme after Dr. No, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Octopussy, that does not make any reference to the title of the film.^[60] "You Know My Name" won a 2006 Satellite Award in the category of Best Original Song,^[61] and a 2007 World Soundtrack Award in the category of Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film.^[62] The song was also nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 2008 Grammy Awards.^[63] This song became the first song recorded for his solo album, which he began work on in 2007.

Cornell has done a number of meet and greet showings with his fanbase. On April 18, 2009, it was announced on his official website that he would be doing a meet and greet appearance at the "Electric Fetus" record store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fans who caught on to the message were able to meet Cornell for pictures and autographs before the concert at the "Myth" in Maplewood, Minnesota.

	"Billie Jean" unplugged noicon From the live album Chris Cornell: Unplugged in Sweden
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Though not officially released onto CD, an hour-long acoustic concert Cornell performed on September 7, 2006 at O-Baren in Stockholm, is widely available for download under the title Chris Cornell: Unplugged in Sweden. A promotional CD for his solo album, Carry On, was released in March 2007, entitled The Roads We Choose - A Retrospective. The 17-song CD included songs from Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave and Cornell's solo work.

On June 5, 2007, Cornell released his second solo album, Carry On, produced by Steve Lillywhite. It debuted at number 17 on the American Billboard charts. Among the artists who accompanied him on his second solo release was friend Gary Lucas, who contributed acoustic guitar to some of the tracks. Cornell has stated that he is always writing, and that there are some songs that he was not able to put onto an Audioslave album.^[64] While recording his second solo album, Cornell was involved in a motorcycle accident.^[65] He was apparently "rear-ended by a truck in L.A.'s Studio City while riding his motorcycle" and "catapulted 20 feet into the air." He was able to walk away from the accident, but had severe cuts and bruises. He returned to the studio later that day.

Cornell performing live in Melkweg in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

In 2007, Cornell appeared as support to Aerosmith on at least two legs of their 2007 world tour^[66]—Dublin, London, and Hyde Park—and to Linkin Park in Australia and New Zealand.^[67] These shows formed part of his own ongoing world tour which began in April 2007 and continued into 2008 and 2009. Cornell has described his touring band—comprising guitarists Yogi Lonich and Peter Thorn, bassist Corey McCormick and drummer Jason Sutter—as "musicians that could get the whole picture" playing music by Soundgarden and Audioslave, as well as his solo material.^[68]

In 2008, Cornell was featured on the Main Stage of Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution tour. Joining Linkin Park and Cornell on the Main Stage were Busta Rhymes, The Bravery, and Ashes Divide. The Revolution Stage featured Atreyu, 10 Years, Hawthorne Heights, Armor for Sleep, and Street Drum Corps. During this tour, Cornell has stated that he plans to "jump on stage" with other artists as the opportunity arises; this may set the stage for future Cornell collaborations, outside his work with Timbaland. Throughout the tour, Cornell collaborated with Chester Bennington from Linkin Park while performing "Hunger Strike", and with Street Drum Corps for a number of his Soundgarden tracks. While Linkin Park would perform their Grammy-winning song "Crawling", he would appear on stage singing the second verse of the song, the outro, and harmonies Aaron Lewis provided for the Reanimation version.

Cornell worked with producer Timbaland on his most recent album, Scream, which was released on March 10, 2009.^[69] Timbaland has referred to the recording sessions as "The best work I've done in my career," and predicted that Cornell will be the "first rock star in the club." Cornell called the new album "a highlight of my career." The album was largely panned by critics,^[70][71][72] but was the highest charting album of Cornell's solo career, reaching # 10 on the Billboard 200.

On April 2, 2009, Cornell took over Atlanta Rock station, Project 961, WKLS-FM. For 24 hours the station became "Chris-FM" and included a two hour special of Cornell DJing and playing his favorite songs of his career with the stories behind them leading up to a rebroadcast of his solo show from the previous night.^[73] On September 11, 2009, Cornell performed John Lennon's "Imagine" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. On October 30, 2009 it was reported that Cornell is working with Jordan Zadorozny and Michael Friedman to rework the Scream album, which was completely untrue. Never Far Away and Long Gone were the only songs that were reworked and not the full album.^[74] Cornell's voice is also sampled on the song "Mister Dirt" from Joshua David's album Good. Night. Melody. which was released on November 17, 2009.

In January 2011 Cornell announced his solo acoustic 'Songbook' tour, following on from a series of acclaimed solo acoustic shows in Los Angeles during 2009 and 2010. The first leg of the sold-out tour began on April 1, 2011 and continued through the US and Canada until May 6, resuming in October and visiting New Zealand, Australia, South America and the US, ending December 17. The tour received universally positive reviews.^[75]

In August 2011 Cornell released “The Keeper”, an original song written for the Marc Forster directed 2011 film Machine Gun Preacher. For the first 24 hours of release, the song was exclusively available as part of the "Donate to Download" campaign for Sam Childers' Angels of East Africa children's charity. The song will also be the lead track on the film’s soundtrack album.^[76]

2010: Soundgarden reunion[link]

Cornell, Cameron and Shepherd performing with Soundgarden at Lollapalooza 2010.

On January 1, 2010, Cornell alluded to a Soundgarden reunion via his Twitter account, writing: "The 12-year break is over and school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!" The message linked to a website that features a picture of the group performing live and a place for fans to enter their e-mail address to get updates on the reunion. Entering that information unlocks an archival video for the song "Get on the Snake", from Soundgarden's second studio album, 1989's Louder Than Love.^[77]

In April 2010, Soundgarden announced their plans to headline Lollapalooza 2010. Soundgarden made the announcement through their website and email list. On April 16, 2010, Soundgarden held a secret show at the Showbox Theater on First Avenue in downtown Seattle, Washington, publicized via the band's mailing list. The show was billed as Nudedragons, an anagram for Soundgarden.^[78] Asked in August 2010 if Soundgarden will record new material, Cornell replied, "it would be exciting to record one song, to hear how Soundgarden-ish that might be this much time later. But for me, it's been more of a trip relearning the songs and playing them together. Some of the songs we're approaching we've never played live."^[79]

Soundgarden made their first television appearance since their reunion on Conan O'Brien's second episode of Conan November 9, 2010 on TBS and toured North America in summer 2011.

In mid/late September 2011 Chris Cornell stopped by Rolling Stone to perform a few acoustic songs & conducted an interview where he spoke about what it's like being back with Soundgarden and revealed that in early 2012 a new Soundgarden album consisting of new material would be released. The album would pick up exactly where the Down on the Upside album, released in 1996, left off.

Other musical projects[link]

Center for Disease Control Boys[link]

From 1986 to 1987, Cornell was also a member of the satirical Western swing band Center for Disease Control Boys.

Temple of the Dog[link]

	"Hunger Strike" noicon "Hunger Strike" was the first single released from Temple of the Dog. The song was written by Cornell and features a duet between Cornell and Eddie Vedder.
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While still in Soundgarden, Cornell recorded an album with members of what would become Pearl Jam. This collaboration went under the name Temple of the Dog, and the self-titled album was released in 1991. The album is a tribute to their mutual friend, and Cornell's former roommate, Andrew Wood. Wood, the former lead singer of Mother Love Bone, died of a heroin overdose the year before. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard of Mother Love Bone teamed up with Mike McCready, Dave Krusen, and new vocalist Eddie Vedder in 1990, forming Pearl Jam. Temple of the Dog has gone on to sell more than a million copies, thanks in large part to the singles "Say Hello 2 Heaven" and "Hunger Strike", the latter of which features a duet between Cornell and Vedder. This was the first time Vedder was recorded professionally. During a 2003 Pearl Jam show at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Cornell appeared as a surprise guest. After playing a short acoustic set, Cornell joined Vedder and the rest of the band to perform "Hunger Strike" and "Reach Down". On October 6, 2009, Cornell made a surprise appearance during a Pearl Jam concert at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles. The reunited Temple of the Dog played Hunger Strike. At the end of the concert, Cornell took a bow with the band along with Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains.

Alice Mudgarden[link]

Cornell, together with Mark Arm of Mudhoney, contributed vocals on the Alice in Chains song "Right Turn" from the 1992 EP, Sap, although the band given credit for this song is Alice Mudgarden.

M.A.C.C.[link]

In 1992, Cornell and three other former members of Temple of the Dog played under the name M.A.C.C., recording the song "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" for the 1993 album, Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix.

Collaborations[link]

Cornell worked as a co-producer and backing vocalist on the Screaming Trees' 1991 album, Uncle Anesthesia. He acted in a cameo role and an onstage performance in Cameron Crowe's 1992 Seattle-based film, Singles. He also contributed his solo song "Seasons", and Soundgarden's song "Birth Ritual", to the Singles soundtrack. Cornell contributed vocals on Alice Cooper's "Stolen Prayer" and "Unholy War" (which he also wrote) from the 1994 album, The Last Temptation. In 1997, Cornell collaborated with Eleven on a rendition of the song, "Ave Maria", for the Christmas compilation album, A Very Special Christmas 3. Cornell has also performed live with the band Linkin Park.

It was incorrectly believed (for many years) that Cornell had written the Eleven song "Someone to Die For" on the 2004 Spider-Man 2 soundtrack, but this was corrected in an interview in April 2007. The song is performed by Jimmy Gnecco of Ours and Brian May of Queen. Cornell had recorded a demo of the song some time earlier, which was released only to members of the Eleven street team.

Cornell co-wrote (with Brian Howes) David Cook's first post-American Idol album single, "Light On", released in 2008. And in 2009, he contributed vocals on the song, "Mister Dirt", from the album, Good.Night.Melody, by Joshua David. Cornell sang one song (which he co-wrote) on Slash, Slash's solo record released in April 2010.^[80] The song is called "Promise" and it was premiered at amazon.com on March 26, 2010.^[81] He contributed vocals on the song, "Lies", on the 2010 album, Third and Double, by Gabin which was subsequently released as a single in October 2010. Cornell appears on the Carlos Santana album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, where he sings on the cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love".

In September 2011, he joined members of Pearl Jam for a Temple Of The Dog live reunion at the 2-day PJ20 Festival in Alpine Valley, WI.^[82]

On May 5th 2012, Soundgarden performed as the surprise guest at K-ROQ's Weenie Roast and Fiesta.

Musical style[link]

Chris Cornell's songwriting often features non-standard chord progressions and melodies that do not conform with one diatonic scale. A prominent example is Black Hole Sun, which not only involves many kinds of open chords and several key changes in short sequences, but also very unique melody phrases with large-interval jumps.^[83]

A recurrent characteristic is the usage of major-only chord sequences (Sweet Euphoria,^[84] Pretty Noose^[85]), which also leads to more subtle key changes.

While a most intensive concentration of Chris Cornell's songwriting style can still be found on the Euphoria Morning album,^[86] later works, with Audioslave or on the later solo albums, tend to be more conventional, only sometimes containing short but inventive interlude parts (e.g. Like a stone,^[87] Disappearing Act, No Such Thing^[88]).

Other work[link]

Chris Cornell made a cameo in the 1992 movie Singles. Cornell was the face of fashion producer John Varvatos' 2006 ad campaign. He recently^[when?] became a restaurateur with the opening of his restaurant, Black Calavados, in Paris. He is also the owner of the music publishing company You Make Me Sick I Make Music.

Cornell has optioned Phil Carlo's true crime book The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez, with plans to turn it into a movie. Cornell is collaborating with Carlo to produce the screenplay.^[89]

Personal life[link]

Cornell was previously married to Susan Silver, the manager of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. He had a daughter with Silver, Lillian Jean, in June 2000. He and Silver divorced in 2004. In December 2008, Cornell reported via his official website that he had finally won back his collection of 15 guitars after a four-year court battle with Silver.^[90]

He is currently married to Vicky Karayiannis (Βίκυ Καραγιάννη),^[91] a Paris-based American publicist of Greek heritage. She gave birth to his second daughter, Toni, in September 2004, and his third child, Christopher Nicholas, in December 2005.^[92]

When asked how Cornell beat all his addictions he stated, "It was a long period of coming to the realization that this way (sober) is better. Going through rehab, honestly, did help, and I'm not....it got me away from just the daily drudgery of depression and either trying to not drink or do drugs or doing them and you know, they give you such a simple message that any idiot can get and it's just over and over, but the bottom line is really, and this is the part that is scary for everyone, the individual kinda has to want it...not kinda, you have to want it and to not do that crap anymore or you will never stop and it will just kill you."^[93]

In a 2011 interview,^[94] Chris Cornell said the major change with the reformed Soundgarden is a lack of alcohol: "The biggest difference I noticed.. and we haven't even really talked about it: There are no bottles of Jack Daniels around or beers. And we never talked about.. it's just not there."

Discography[link]

Chris Cornell has released four solo albums. His first band Soundgarden, produced five albums, five EPs and two greatest hits compilations. He released three albums with Audioslave and one album with Temple of the Dog. Despite this large discography he has only released one retrospective compilation which was given a limited release. Cornell has also produced an album for Screaming Trees and had his music featured on one mixtape.

Solo releases[link]

• Euphoria Morning (1999)
• Carry On (2007)
• Scream (2009)
• Songbook (2011)

Soundgarden[link]

Temple of the Dog[link]

• Temple of the Dog (1991)

Audioslave[link]

Other appearances[link]

Vocals

• 1992: Alice in Chains - Sap (Co-lead Vocals on "Right Turn")
• 1994: Alice Cooper - The Last Temptation (Backing Vocals on "Stolen Prayer" and "Unholy War")
• 1997: A Very Special Christmas 3 (Vocals on "Ave Maria" featuring Eleven)
• 2004: Axis of Justice - Axis Of Justice: Concert Series, Vol. 1 (vocals on (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?)
• 2008: Linkin Park - Songs From The Underground (Lead Vocals on "Hunger Strike")
• 2009: Joshua David - Good.Night.Melody (Vocals on "Mister Dirt")
• 2010: Slash - Slash (Vocals on "Promise")
• 2010: Gabin - Third and Double (Vocals on "Lies")
• 2010: Carlos Santana - Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time ( Vocals on "Whole Lotta Love")
• 2012: Rita Wilson - AM/FM ( Vocals on "All I Have To Do Is Dream")

Producer

• 1991: Uncle Anesthesia by Screaming Trees

Mixtapes

• 2009: Chris Cornell and Prophet – Scream: The Mixtape – presented by DJ Skee

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chris Cornell

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Chris Cornell

• Official website
• Chris Cornell at Allmusic
• Chris Cornell at the Internet Movie Database

Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson performing in January 2007
Background information
Birth name	Brian Douglas Wilson
Born	(1942-06-20) June 20, 1942 (age 70) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Genres	Rock, pop, psychedelic rock, surf rock, experimental rock, baroque pop, art rock
Occupations	Songwriter, bassist, pianist, vocalist, producer, composer, organist, arranger
Instruments	Vocals, bass, piano, organ, synthesizers, mellotron, clavinet, violin, saxophone, percussions, guitar, electric piano, moog synthesizers
Years active	1961–present
Labels	Capitol/EMI Sire/Reprise/Warner Bros. Brother/Reprise/Warner Bros. Giant/Warner Bros. Caribou/CBS Nonesuch/Elektra Walt Disney
Associated acts	The Beach Boys, The Four Freshmen, Jan and Dean, Van Dyke Parks, The Wondermints
Website	www.brianwilson.com
Notable instruments
Fender Precision Bass Baldwin HT2R Theater Organ[1] Moog synthesizer

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. On stage, Wilson provided many of the lead vocals, and often harmonized with the group in falsetto. Early during his on-stage career, Wilson primarily played bass on stage, but gradually transitioned to primarily playing piano/keyboards. Besides being the primary composer in The Beach Boys, he also functioned as the band's main producer and arranger. After signing with Capitol Records in mid-1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen Top 40 hits including "Surfin' Safari", "Surfin' USA", "Shut Down", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Be True to Your School", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "Dance Dance Dance", "Help Me Rhonda", "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations". These songs and their accompanying albums were internationally popular, making The Beach Boys one of the biggest acts of their time.^[2]

In the mid-60s Wilson used his increasingly creative ambitions to compose and produce Pet Sounds, considered one of the greatest albums of all time. At this point his music was considered to rival that of Lennon–McCartney. The intended follow up to Pet Sounds, Smile, was cancelled for various reasons, including Wilson's deteriorating mental health. Wilson's contributions to The Beach Boys diminished as the years went by, and his erratic behavior led to tensions with the band. After years of treatment and recuperation, he began a solo career in 1988 with Brian Wilson, the same year that he and The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then he has toured for the first time in decades with a new band and released acclaimed albums such as a reworked version of Smile in 2004, for which Wilson won a Grammy Award for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)" as Best Rock Instrumental, That Lucky Old Sun, and Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin.

In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine published a list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and ranked Wilson number 52.^[3] He is an occasional actor and voice actor, having appeared in television shows, films, and other artists' music videos. On December 16, 2011, a 50th Anniversary Reunion was announced and Brian returned to The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation, Brother Records Incorporated.

Life and career[link]

Early years[link]

Wilson was born on June 20, 1942 at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California, the son of Audree Neva (née Korthof) and Murry Gage Wilson.^[4] He was the eldest of three boys; his younger brothers were Dennis and Carl. When Brian was two,^[5] the Wilson family moved from Inglewood to 3701 West 119th Street in nearby Hawthorne, California, a town in the greater Los Angeles urban area about five miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. He spent his entire subsequent childhood years in this middle-class family home.^[6]

Brian Wilson's father told of Brian's unusual musical abilities prior to his first birthday, observing that the baby could repeat the melody from "When the Caissons Go Rolling Along" after only a few verses had been sung by the father. Murry stated, "He was very clever and quick. I just fell in love with him."^[7]

At about age two, Brian heard George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", which had an enormous emotional impact on him.^[8] A few years later Brian was discovered to have extremely diminished hearing in his right ear. The exact cause of this hearing loss is unclear, though theories range from Brian's simply being born partially deaf, to a blow to the head from Brian's father, or a neighborhood bully, being to blame.^[9]

While father Murry was ostensibly a reasonable provider, he was often abusive. But Murry, a minor musician and songwriter, also encouraged his children in this field in numerous ways. At an early age, Brian was given six weeks of lessons on a "toy accordion", and at seven and eight sang solos in church with a choir behind him.^[10] By most accounts a natural leader by the time he began attending Hawthorne High School, Brian was on the football team as a quarterback, played baseball and was a cross-country runner in his senior year.^[11] However, most of his energy was directed toward music. He sang with various students at school functions and with his family and friends at home. Brian taught his two brothers harmony parts that all three would then practice when they were supposed to be asleep. He also played piano obsessively after school, deconstructing the harmonies of The Four Freshmen by listening to short segments of their songs on a phonograph, then working to recreate the blended sounds note by note on the keyboard.^[12] Brian received a Wollensak tape recorder on his 16th birthday, allowing him to experiment with recording songs and early group vocals.^[13]

First steps: Carl and the Passions[link]

Wilson's surviving home tapes document his initial efforts singing with various buddies and family, including a song that would later be recorded in the studio by The Beach Boys, "Sloop John B", as well as "Bermuda Shorts" and a hymn titled "Good News". In his senior year at Hawthorne High, in addition to his classroom music studies, he would gather at lunchtime to sing with friends like Keith Lent and Bruce Griffin. Brian and Lent worked on a revised version of the tune "Hully Gully" to support the campaign of a classmate named Carol Hess who was running for senior class president. When performed for a full high school gathering, Brian's revised arrangement received a warm round of applause from the student audience.^[14]

Enlisting his cousin and often-time singing partner Mike Love, and Wilson's reluctant youngest brother Carl Wilson, Brian's next public performance featured more ambitious arrangements at a fall arts program at his high school. To entice Carl into the group, Wilson named the newly-formed membership "Carl and the Passions". The performance featured tunes by Dion and the Belmonts and The Four Freshmen ("It's a Blue World"), the latter of which proved difficult for the ensemble to carry off. However, the event was notable for the impression it made on another musician and classmate of Brian's who was in the audience that night, Al Jardine, later to join the three Wilson brothers and Mike Love in The Beach Boys.^[15]

Initial compositions and the Pendletones[link]

Brian enrolled at El Camino College in Los Angeles, majoring in psychology, in September 1960. However, he continued his music studies at the college as well.^[16] At some point in the year 1961 Brian wrote his first all-original melody, loosely based on a Dion and the Belmonts version of "When You Wish Upon a Star". Brian's tune would eventually be known as "Surfer Girl". Brian has commented that he wrote the melody in his car, then later at home finished the bridge and harmonies. Although an early demo of the song was recorded in February 1962 at World-Pacific Studios, it was not re-recorded and released until 1963, when it became a top ten hit.^[17]

Brian and his brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson along with Mike Love and Al Jardine first gelled as a music group in the summer of 1961, initially named the Pendletones. After being prodded by Dennis to write a song about the local water sports craze, Brian and Mike Love together created what would become the first single for the band, "Surfin'". Over Labor Day weekend 1961, Brian took advantage of the fact that his parents were in Mexico City for a couple of days and intended to use the emergency money they had left for the boys to rent an amp, a microphone, and a stand-up bass. As it turned out, the money they had left was not enough to cover musical expenses, so Al Jardine appealed to his mother, Virginia for assistance. When she heard the group perform, she was suitably impressed and handed over $300 to help out. Al promptly took Brian to the music store where he was able to rent a stand-up bass. After two days of rehearsing in the Wilsons' music room, Brian's parents returned home from their trip. Murry was irate, until Brian convinced him to listen to what they'd been up to. His father was convinced that the boys did indeed have something worth pursuing. He quickly proclaimed himself the group's manager and the band embarked on serious rehearsals for a proper studio session.^[18] Recorded by Hite and Dorinda Morgan and released on the small Candix Records label, "Surfin'" became a top local hit in Los Angeles and reached number seventy-five on the national Billboard sales charts.^[19]

Dennis later described the first time Brian heard their song on the radio as the three Wilson brothers (and soon-to-be-band member David Marks) drove in Brian's 1957 Ford in the rain: "Nothing will ever top the expression on Brian's face, ever ... THAT was the all-time moment."

However, the Pendletones were no more. Without the band's knowledge or permission, Candix Records had changed their name to The Beach Boys.^[20]

First performances and the quest for a major label[link]

Brian Wilson and his bandmates, following a set by Ike and Tina Turner, performed their first major live show at The Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance on New Year's Eve, 1961. Three days previously, Brian's father had bought him an electric bass and amplifier; Brian had learned to play the instrument in that short period of time, with Al Jardine moving to rhythm guitar.

Looking for a followup single for their radio hit, Brian and Mike Love wrote "Surfin' Safari", and attempts were made to record a usable take at World Pacific, including overdubs, on February 8, 1962, along with several other tunes including an early version of "Surfer Girl". Only a few days later, discouraged about the band's financial prospects, and objecting to adding some Chubby Checker songs to The Beach Boys live setlist, Al Jardine abruptly left the group.^[21]

When Candix Records ran into money problems and sold the group's master recordings to another label, Murry Wilson terminated the contract. Brian, worried about The Beach Boys' future, asked his father to help his group make more recordings. But Murry and Hite Morgan (who at this point was their music publisher) were turned down by a number of Los Angeles record companies.

As "Surfin'" faded from the charts, Brian, who had forged a songwriting partnership with Gary Usher, created several new tunes, including a car song, "409", that Usher helped them write. Recruiting Carl and Dennis' friend, thirteen-year-old neighbor David Marks, who had been playing electric guitar (and practicing with Carl) for years, Brian and the revamped Beach Boys cut new tracks on April 19 at Western Recorders including an updated "Surfin' Safari" and "409". These tunes convinced Capitol Records to release the demos as a single; they became a double-sided national hit.^[22]

The Beach Boys and first success with Capitol Records[link]

Brian Wilson performing the song "I Get Around" with The Beach Boys on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

Recording sessions for the band's first album took place in Capitol's basement studios (in the famous tower building) in August 1962, but early on Brian lobbied for a different place to cut Beach Boy tracks. The large rooms were built to record the big orchestras and ensembles of the 1950s, not small rock groups. At Brian's insistence, Capitol agreed to let The Beach Boys pay for their own outside recording sessions, which Capitol would own all the rights to, and in return the band would receive a higher royalty rate on their record sales. Additionally, although it was very rare at the time for rock and roll band members to have a say in the process of making their records, during the taping of their first LP Brian fought for, and won, the right to be totally in charge of the production- though his first acknowledged liner notes production credit did not come until the band's third album Surfer Girl, in 1963.^[23]

In January 1963 The Beach Boys recorded their first top-ten (cresting at #3 in the United States) single, "Surfin' USA", which began their long run of highly successful recording efforts at Hollywood's Western Recorders on Sunset Boulevard. It was during the sessions for this single that Brian made the production decision from that point on to use doubletracking on the group's vocals, resulting in a deeper and more resonant sound.^[24]

Brian Wilson with The Beach Boys in 1966.

The tune, adapted from (and eventually entirely credited to) Chuck Berry, is widely seen as emblematic of the early 1960s American rock cultural experience.^[25] The Surfin' USA album was also a big hit in the United States, reaching number two on the national sales charts by early July 1963. Brian and his group had become a top-rank recording and touring music band.^[4]

Early era as writer/producer[link]

Brian was first credited as The Beach Boys' producer on the Surfer Girl album, recorded in June and July 1963 and released in September 1963. This LP reached #7 on the national charts on the strength of songs like the ballad "In My Room", later released as a single; "Catch a Wave"; and "Little Deuce Coupe", which was released as a double-sided single with the album's title track, both top-15 hits.

He also began working with other artists in this period. On July 20, 1963, "Surf City", which he had co-written with Jan and Dean, was the first surfing song to reach the pinnacle of the sales charts. The development pleased Brian, but angered Murry and Capitol Records. Murry went so far as to order his oldest son to sever any further efforts with Jan and Dean.

Brian's other non-Beach Boy work in this period included tracks by The Honeys, Sharon Marie, The Timers, and The Survivors. Feeling that surfing songs had become limiting, Brian decided to produce a set of largely car-oriented tunes for The Beach Boys' fourth album Little Deuce Coupe, which was released in October 1963, only three weeks after the Surfer Girl LP. The departure of guitarist David Marks from the band that month meant that Brian was forced to resume touring with The Beach Boys, for a time reducing his availability in the recording studio.^[26]

Artistic growth[link]

Brian became known for his unique use of vocal harmonies and incessant studio perfectionism. Early influences on his music included not only the previously mentioned Four Freshmen and Chuck Berry, but also the work of record producer Phil Spector, the latter of whom obsessed Wilson for years.^[27] He later considered The Beatles to be his chief rivals, and they in turn would cite his work as a major influence. Wilson also produced records for other artists, but to much lesser success, with the exception of Jan and Dean, for whom Wilson co-wrote several hit songs. Following a nervous breakdown onboard a flight from L.A. to Houston in 1964,^[28] Wilson stopped performing live with the Beach Boys in an effort to concentrate solely on songwriting^[29] and studio production.^[28] Glen Campbell was called in as his temporary stand-in for live performances,^[27] before Wilson chose Bruce Johnston as a long-term replacement—a band member who remains with the Beach Boys today. In late 1965, Wilson began working on material for a new album after hearing the Beatles' 1965 album Rubber Soul.^[30]

As he began work on the new project, Pet Sounds, Wilson formed a temporary songwriting partnership with lyricist Tony Asher. Wilson, who had recorded the album's instrumentation with The Wrecking Crew, then gathered with The Beach Boys to record vocal overdubs, following their return from a tour of Japan. Upon hearing what Wilson had created for the first time in 1965,^[28] the group, particularly Mike Love, was somewhat critical of their leader's music,^[27] and expressed their dissatisfaction.^[28] At this time, Wilson still had considerable control within the group and, according to Wilson, they eventually overcame their initial negative reaction, as his newly created music began to near completion; "They thought it was too far-out to do, you know?... But then when it was all done, they liked it. They started liking it."^[28] The album was released May 16, 1966 and, despite modest sales figures at the time, has since become widely critically acclaimed, often being cited among the all-time greatest albums. Although the record was issued under the group's name, Pet Sounds is arguably seen as a Brian Wilson solo album—Wilson even toyed with the idea by releasing "Caroline, No" as a solo single in March 1966, reaching no. 32 on the Billboard charts.^[31]

During the Pet Sounds sessions, Wilson had been working on another song, which was held back from inclusion on the record as he felt that it was not sufficiently complete. The song "Good Vibrations" set a new standard for musicians and for what could be achieved in the recording studio. Recorded in multiple sessions and in numerous studios, the song eventually cost $50,000 to record within a six month period.^[30] In October 1966, the song was released as a single, giving The Beach Boys their third U.S. number-one hit—alongside "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda"—and it sold over a million copies.

[edit] Smile, group tension and Brother Records

With the surprising success of "Good Vibrations", Capitol Records had no choice but to back Wilson up for his next project, originally called Dumb Angel^[27] but soon re-titled Smile, which he described as a "teenage symphony to God".^[27] The album's approach was similar to "Good Vibrations" in the style of recording, which, at the time, was called modular music. This was vastly different compared to the standard live performances that were typically done in a studio at the time. After having been introduced to each other at a party, Wilson sought the lyrical assistance of L.A.-based musician Van Dyke Parks, who had made a profound impression on Wilson with the "visionary eloquence" of his lyrics.^[32] During the album's songwriting sessions, they collaborated on "Heroes and Villains", "Surf's Up", "Wonderful", "Vegetables" and "Mrs. O Leary's Cow". However, between December 1966 and May 1967, the Smile sessions fell apart due to conflict within the group and Wilson's own growing personal problems. As a result, Wilson was having problems completing the album towards the end of the recording sessions. Originally slated to be released in January 1967, the date was continually pushed back until its eventual cancellation — "Heroes and Villains" and "Vegetables" were planned as singles within that time, but nothing appeared.

Another source of problems came from The Beach Boys deciding to file a lawsuit against Capitol Records to start their own label, Brother Records. This transpired when Wilson was trying to finish the album and, right along the way, The Beatles were working on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In April 1967, Wilson — who was suffering from growing mental problems not limited to paracusia and paranoia, including the belief that journalist Jules Siegel's girlfriend was a witch with a penchant for extrasensory perception — was "deeply affected" by hearing a tape of the Sgt. Pepper song "A Day in the Life", which Paul McCartney played to him in Los Angeles.^[33] Soon after, Smile was abandoned, and Wilson would not return to complete it until 2004, when it was released as a Brian Wilson album of the same name. Van Dyke Parks later noted, "...Brian had a nervous collapse. What broke his heart was Sgt. Pepper."^[32] Writing for The Guardian in December 1999, Will Hodgkinson summarized the main reasons for the eventual demise of Wilson's ambitious project;^[32]

[A] combination of factors, including litigations against the record company and increasing animosity between Wilson and the rest of the band, meant that in May 1967 Wilson pulled the plug on the record... [Mike] Love had already dismissed "Good Vibrations" as "avant-garde shit" and objected to the way Wilson, Parks and a group of highly skilled session musicians were creating music way beyond his understanding... By March 1967, the bad feeling got too much for Parks and, having no desire to break up The Beach Boys, he walked out.

Following the cancellation of Smile, The Beach Boys relocated to a recording studio within the confines of Brian Wilson's mansion, where the hastily compiled Smiley Smile album was assembled, along with a number of future Beach Boys records. This marked the end of Wilson's leadership within the band, and has been seen to be "the moment when the Beach Boys first started slipping from the vanguard to nostalgia."^[28]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2012)

Onset of mental illness and drug addiction[link]

Throughout mid-to-late 1967, Wilson concurrently oversaw the production of such heavily orchestrated songs as "Can't Wait Too Long" and "Time to Get Alone" (the latter intended for Redwood, an early iteration of Three Dog Night) alongside the albums Smiley Smile (composed mainly of reconstituted Smile material recorded in minimalist arrangements by the core Beach Boys) and the R&B-inflected Wild Honey, both of which performed only modestly on the charts. His interest in The Beach Boys began to wax and wane, and he was frequently seen partying with Tandyn Almer and singer Danny Hutton; it was during this period that he was introduced to cocaine. Still psychologically overwhelmed by the cancellation of Smile and the imminent birth of his first child Carnie Wilson in 1968 amid the looming financial insolvency of The Beach Boys (Friends, largely written & produced by Wilson and recorded once again with members of the Wrecking Crew, peaked at #126 on the American charts), Wilson's creative role with the band begin to diminish. Shortly after numerous attempts at recording of an intricate Pet Sounds-style cover of Kern and Hammerstein's "Ol' Man River" were finally thwarted by Love, Wilson entered a psychiatric hospital for an indefinite period of time of his own volition; it is believed that he was first administered Thorazine and electroconvulsive therapy during this stay. As a consequence of this, his contributions to 1969's 20/20 subsequently consisted of Smile outtakes and long-simmering works in progress. The Wilson/Love-authored "Do It Again", a reactionary throwback to the band's earlier surf hits, was a major hit in the summer of 1968, reaching #20 in America (though not offsetting the fallow, contemporaneous reception of "Friends" and "Bluebirds Over the Mountain") and topping the charts in the UK.

In 1969 and 1970 Wilson enjoyed a relatively good period of health and activity. He lost weight, made several concert appearances (including filling in for Love on a 1970 Northwest tour while the singer was convalescing), and resumed writing and recording on a fairly regular basis. Some of this work ended up on The Beach Boys Sunflower LP, containing 7 (out of 12) songs written or co-written by Wilson and their first for then-au courant Reprise Records under a contract that stipulated his proactive involvement with the band. With his father Murry assisting, Wilson also penned the 1969 UK hit "Break Away", a song that explicitly alluded to his depression and aural hallucinations. Although he played and/or sang on most of the 1971 Surf's Up LP, he wrote or co-wrote only three of the ten songs, including the 1966 title track. After rampant opposition to one of his contributions ("'Til I Die") from Love and the protracted debate surrounding the use of the Smile remnant, Wilson lost interest in the group once more, largely ceding leadership of the band to his brother Carl. In late 1971 and early 1972 he worked intermittently on the Spring LP, a new collaboration between erstwhile Honeys Marilyn Wilson and Diane Rovell. While he was initially far more involved in their sessions than The Beach Boys' recordings of the epoch, he soon recused himself from the recording process. Wilson co-wrote three (out of eight) songs for The Beach Boys' Carl and the Passions: So Tough in 1972 and reluctantly accompanied the band on their excursion to the Netherlands that year; the ensuing Holland contained the long-germinating FM radio hit "Sail On, Sailor" (believed to be largely written by Wilson, Alder, and Van Dyke Parks circa 1970-1971) and the more insouciant "Funky Pretty" (a collaboration with the band's manager, Jack Riley); a bonus EP contained Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale), a narrative suite musically inspired by Randy Newman's Sail Away and intended to be the album's centerpiece. Faced with the piece's castigatory reception from much of the band, Wilson stopped recording; the finished take was salvaged by Carl Wilson and Jack Riley. In the uncut excerpts from a 1981 interview with Musician, Carl Wilson claimed that his brother became truly addicted to cocaine during this period.

Seclusion, comeback, and relapse[link]

Wilson spent a great deal of the two years following his father's death in June 1973 secluded in the maid's quarters of his Bel Air mansion, sleeping, taking drugs, and overeating. During this period his voice deteriorated significantly as a result of chain smoking, drug ingestion and general neglect. In late 1975, Marilyn Wilson and the family enlisted the services of a controversial therapist, Eugene Landy, in a bid to help Wilson, with the hope of reviving the group's ailing profile. Wilson did not stay under Landy's care for long, but during this short period, Landy managed to help him into a more productive, social frame of mind. The new album 15 Big Ones, consisting of oldies and some new songs, was released in 1976 and Wilson began to appear regularly on stage with the band. A Love-orchestrated publicity campaign announced that "Brian is Back". He was also deemed to be well enough to do a solo performance on Saturday Night Live in November 1976. In 1977, the cult favorite Love You was released, consisting almost entirely of new material written and performed by Wilson. He has often called this, along with Friends, his favorite Beach Boys album.

By 1982, Eugene Landy was once more called into action, and a more radical program was undertaken to try to restore Wilson to health. This involved firing him from The Beach Boys, isolating him from his family on Hawaii, and putting him on a rigorous diet and health regimen. Coupled with long, extreme counselling sessions, this continued to bring Wilson back to reality. He lost a tremendous amount of weight and was certainly healthier and more conversant than previously, but was also under Landy's strict control. Wilson's recovery continued as he joined the band on stage in Live Aid in 1985, and recorded the album The Beach Boys with the group.

Dr. Landy provided a Svengali-like environment for Wilson, controlling every movement in his life, including his musical direction. Landy's misconduct would eventually lead to the loss of his psychology license,^[34] as well as a court-ordered removal and restraining order from Wilson.^[35]

Some years later, during his second marriage, Wilson was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type) which supposedly caused him to hear voices. By 1989 a rumour was circulating that Brian either had had a stroke or had abused drugs excessively and was permanently "fried".^[7] One biographer reported that the actual problem was that Wilson, who had been prescribed anti-psychotic medicine since 1983, had developed tardive dyskinesia,^[36] a neurological condition marked by involuntary, repetitive movements, that develops in about 20% of patients treated with anti-psychotic drugs for a long period of time.^[37] Wilson's drug regimen has now been reduced to a combination of mild antidepressants, and he has resumed recording and performing.

The effects of Brian Wilson's mental illness on his parenting skills were discussed by Wilson's daughter Wendy during her appearance in an episode of the British reality television program Supernanny.^[38] Wilson's daughter Carnie and granddaughter Lola also made an appearance on the episode.

Solo career[link]

Wilson launched a career as a solo artist in 1988 with limited success. It is possible that his efforts in this regard were both encouraged and hampered by Landy's influence. Partly due to the control that Landy exercised on his life, Wilson stopped working with The Beach Boys on a regular basis after the release of The Beach Boys in 1985. He had been signed to a solo record deal with Sire Records by label boss Seymour Stein.

Wilson's first solo album, Brian Wilson, released in 1988, was favorably reviewed in the music press, but sold poorly. A memoir, Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story, was released in 1990, in which he spoke about his troubled relationship with his abusive father Murry, his internal disputes with the Beach Boys, and his "lost years" of mental illness. Although it was written following interviews with Brian and others and released with Brian's name as co-author, Landy was largely responsible for the direction of the book, in conjunction with People magazine writer Todd Gold. The book describes Landy in terms that could be called messianic. In a later lawsuit over the book, instigated by several family members including his brother Carl and mother Audree, Wilson testified in court that he had not even read the final manuscript. As a result, the book was taken out of press some years later. A second solo album made for Sire under the aegis of Landy, entitled Sweet Insanity, was never released after being rejected by the record label. Landy's illegal use of psychotropic drugs on Wilson and his influence over Wilson's financial affairs was legally ended by Carl Wilson and other members of the Wilson family. A court appointed conservator was appointed to oversee Wilson's financial and legal affairs.

In 1995, Wilson married Melinda Ledbetter, a car saleswoman and former model he met several years earlier while still under the care of Eugene Landy. The couple adopted five children: two girls, Daria Rose and Delanie Rae, in 1998; a boy, Dylan, in 2004; a boy, Dash Tristan in 2009; and a girl, Dakota Rose, in 2010.^[39] Wilson has two daughters from his first marriage to Marilyn Rovell: Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson, who would go on to musical success of their own in the early 1990s as two-thirds of Wilson Phillips.

Also in 1995, he released two albums, albeit neither containing any new original Wilson material, almost simultaneously. The first, the soundtrack to Don Was's documentary I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, consists of re-recorded versions of songs from his Beach Boys and solo catalogue produced by Was, along with a 1976-vintage demo recording. The second, Orange Crate Art, saw Wilson as lead vocalist, multitracked many times over, on an album of songs produced, arranged and (mostly) written by Van Dyke Parks, and was released as a duo album under both men's names.

His final release as part of the group was on the 1996 album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1, a group collaboration with select country music artists singing the lead vocals. After considerable mental recovery, he mended his relationship with his daughters Carnie and Wendy and the three of them released an album in 1997 titled The Wilsons.

In 1996 Wilson sang backup on Belinda Carlisle's "California."

In 1998, Wilson released a second solo album of mostly new material, Imagination. Following this, he received extensive vocal coaching to improve his voice, learned to cope with his stage fright, and started to play live for the first time in decades, going on to play the whole Pet Sounds album live on his tours of the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.

The album Gettin' in Over My Head, was released on June 22, 2004. It featured collaborations with Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Wilson's deceased brother Carl. Clapton played on the track "City Blues." The album was almost entirely composed of re-recordings of unreleased material, and received mixed reviews.

Wilson recently contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Listen To Me" to the tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly released on September 6, 2011 on Verve Forecast. Rolling Stone praised Wilson's version as "gorgeous", featuring "angelic harmonies and delicate instrumentation".^[40]

[edit] Smile resurrected

With the improvements in his mental health, Wilson found himself able to contemplate returning to the Smile project. Aided by musician and long time fan Darian Sahanaja of The Wondermints, and lyricist Van Dyke Parks, Brian painstakingly worked throughout 2003 to release the album. In February 2004, 37 years after it was conceived, Wilson debuted the newly completed Smile at the Royal Festival Hall in London and throughout a subsequent UK tour.

The debut performance at the RFH was a defining moment for Brian. The documentary DVD of the event shows Brian preparing for the big day and, right up to show time, expressing doubts over the concept of putting this legendary work before the public. After an opening set of Beach Boys classics, he climbed back on stage for a rousing performance of the album. A 10-minute standing ovation followed the concert; the DVD shows a sprinkling of rock luminaries in the crowd, such as Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, Sir George Martin and Sir Paul McCartney (although neither Martin nor McCartney attended the opening night, contrary to what the DVD implies).

Smile was then recorded through April to June and released in September, to wide critical acclaim. The release hit #13 on the Billboard chart. The 2004 recording featured his backup/touring band, including Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett, members of the Wondermints and backup singer Taylor Mills. In this version, "Good Vibrations" features Tony Asher's original lyrics in the verses, instead of Mike Love's lyrics from the released 1966 version.

At the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005, Wilson won his only Grammy for the track "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" as Best Rock Instrumental. In 2004 Smile was taken on the road for a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Europe. In December 2005, he also released What I Really Want for Christmas for Arista Records. The release hit #200 on the Billboard chart, though sales were modest. Wilson's remake of the classic "Deck The Halls" became a surprise Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit.

On November 1, 2011, after a 44-year wait, the Beach Boys version of the Smile album titled The Smile Sessions was released as a single CD, a 2 CD box-set, a vinyl double album, and a deluxe 5 CD/2 LP boxset.^[41]

[edit] Post-Smile to That Lucky Old Sun

Brian Wilson and his group performing In Europe in 2005.

In February 2005, Wilson had a cameo in the TV series Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century as Daffy Duck's spiritual surfing advisor.^[42] He also appeared in the 2005 holiday episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, performing "Deck the Halls" for a group of children with xeroderma pigmentosum (hypersensitivity to sunlight) at Walt Disney World Resort. On July 2, 2005, Wilson performed for the Live 8 concert in Berlin, Germany.

In September 2005, Wilson arranged a charity drive to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, wherein people who donated $100 or more would receive a personal phone call from Wilson. According to the website, over $250K was raised.^[43] In November 2005, former bandmate Mike Love sued Wilson over "shamelessly misappropriating... Love's songs, likeness, and the Beach Boys trademark, as well as the 'Smile' album itself" in the promotion of Smile.^[44] The lawsuit was ultimately thrown out of court on grounds that it was meritless.^[45]

On November 1, 2006, Wilson kicked off a small but highly anticipated tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds.^[46] He was joined by Al Jardine.

Wilson released a new album That Lucky Old Sun on September 2, 2008. The piece originally debuted in a series of September 2007 concerts at London's Royal Festival Hall, and in January 2008 at Sydney's State Theatre while headlining the Sydney Festival.^[47] Wilson describes the piece as "consisting of five 'rounds', with interspersed spoken word".^[48] A series of US and UK concerts led up to its release.

On September 30, 2008, Seattle's Light in the Attic Records released A World of Peace Must Come, a collaboration between Wilson and Stephen Kalinich, originally recorded in 1969, but later lost in Kalinich's closet.^[49]

[edit] Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (2009–present)

Wilson signed a two-record deal with Disney. In summer 2009, Wilson was approached by the Gershwin estate^{[citation needed]} to record an album of covers of classic Gershwin songs, and to complete two piano pieces left unfinished by Gershwin at his death. The album, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, was released on August 17, 2010 on Disney's Pearl label.^{[50][dated info]} Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin hit #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart, and had sold 53,000 copies by August 2011.^[51]

Wilson's second album for Disney was In The Key Of Disney, a collection of classic Disney movie songs, which was released on October 25, 2011.^[51]

Wilson contributed a cover of "Listen to Me" to the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, which was released on September 6, 2011.

The Tree of Life producer Bill Pohlad and veteran television writer/producer John Wells (E.R., The West Wing) have teamed to develop a drama based on Wilson's personal and professional story. They have acquired life rights from Wilson and his wife, Melinda, and hired Oren Moverman, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind the offbeat Bob Dylan film I'm Not There, to write a script.^[52]

[edit] Beach Boys Reunion (2011–present)

In June 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported that Brian Wilson would join The Beach Boys for their 50th anniversary.^[53] However, Love subsequently stated, "At this time there are no plans for my cousin Brian to rejoin the tour...We have had some discussions of writing and possibly recording together, but nothing has been planned...I..felt the need to clarify that there are no current 'reunion' tour plans."^[54]

That July, Rolling Stone magazine reported that Jardine stated "we’re definitely doing at least one show" in 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the band. The reunion would feature all the surviving 1960s-era Beach Boys— Jardine himself, Wilson, Love, Johnston and possibly Marks. Jardine added that the tension between various former band-mates has been resolved. Regarding the various now-resolved lawsuits between them, he noted that "Once we finished our business, all the negativity was gone." Rolling Stone reported that Wilson's manager, Jean Sievers, is "unfamiliar with reunion plans", although the magazine stated "a source close to Love says there have been discussions for reunion concert, but nothing is set." There was also no confirmation of a location for the concerts.^[55]

Al Jardine joined the Beach Boys for the first time since 1998 at a tribute for Ronald Reagan on February 5, 2011. Brian Wilson was invited to join as well, though he did not attend, as he was recording his Disney album.^[56]

On July 27, 2011, Mike Love announced that, "Where we're at right now is Brian's written some songs, I've written some songs. We're talking very seriously about getting together and co-writing and doing some new music together [as a band].. ..He's been doing his own touring, we've been doing ours and so we haven't really been able to lock into that, but it looks like this fall we will. It just makes a lot of sense with a milestone such as 50 years to get together and do something."^[57] That day, Brian Wilson said the band is going to get back together to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Wilson added that he was at Capitol Records recently with Love and Jardine, but is still not exactly certain what the future holds: “We're going to get together a little bit before we do it.” To rehearse? “I assume so,” Wilson said.^[58]

In the Summer 2011 edition of the Beach Boys' fan publication, Endless Summer Quarterly, Mike Love told editor David M. Beard, "We had a session at Capitol Records (with Love, Wilson, Jardine and Bruce Johnston). Brian was conducting the session. … At the end of the session Brian said, “I can’t believe a 70-year-old guy can sing that great!” [Laughs] It was really cute! It was cool. … It was something to prove that we can work together. There’s a lot of talk and conjecture both internally and externally. All I can say at the moment is I think it would be great to work with Brian and see what can come of it… I’m all in favor of a positive outlook towards that."

In the October 2011 issue of Rolling Stone, Jardine told the magazine that the group with Wilson would reunite in 2012 for 50 U.S. dates and 50-60 overseas dates. Mike Love stated that during the summer of 2011, the band reunited to re-record their hit, "Do it Again" which will be made into a music video to promote the world tour. Love had nothing but praise for Wilson saying "he sounds great, always coming up with chords, and his singing ability is still there. He hasn't lost the ability to do what he does best." Love even said he was more excited about what the future held and together with Wilson they were writing songs again with Beach Boys sessions veteran, Eddie Bayers for an upcoming Beach Boys reunion album. Bayers commented on the new songs by Wilson by saying "Brian's new creations are just unbelievable." Wilson, on the other hand, said he did not really like working with his former bandmates, though it all depends on how they feel and how much money is involved. He concluded by saying that money is not the only reason he made records, but it does hold a place in their lives.^[59]

On September 29, 2011 it was announced that in a upcoming interview with Q Magazine, Wilson said that while he did consider rejoining the group back in May, the rumors of him reuniting with the band were not true and he would not be touring with them in 2012, though he did acknowledge that at least they are trying to keep the music alive. Wilson said that he plans to focus his attention on his upcoming solo projects including his Disney album, but made no comments on the new Beach Boys music or album which Love had mentioned in the Rolling Stone interview, and nothing was mentioned about the music video.^[60]

On December 16, 2011 it was announced that despite Brian Wilson's previous claims to the contrary, he would be reuniting with Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks for a new album and 50th anniversary tour in 2012. The group appeared at the 2012 Grammy Awards on February 12, followed by a 50-date tour that is set to include a performance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in April.^[61]

The Beach Boys will release their new album, That's Why God Made the Radio, on June 5, 2012. The album's title track was released as its first single in April 2012.

Legacy[link]

Awards and recognitions[link]

• Wilson and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in January 1988.
• In 2000, Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Paul McCartney introduced Brian, referring to him as "one of the great American geniuses."^[62]
• In March 2001, TNT and Radio City Music Hall hosted "An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson." This event featured performances and appearances by Elton John, Billy Joel, Chazz Palminteri host, David Crosby, Dennis Hopper, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, The Go-Go's, Cameron Crowe, Sir George Martin, Vince Gill, Brian's daughters Carnie & Wendy Wilson along with Chynna Phillips (Wilson Phillips), Jimmy Webb, Darius Rucker, Matthew Sweet, Ann and Nancy Wilson of (Heart), The Boys Choir of Harlem, and others.
• Pet Sounds has been ranked as one of the most influential records in popular music, and has been ranked #1 on several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time. It is ranked #2 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
• On May 10, 2004, Wilson was honored as a BMI Icon at the 52nd annual BMI Pop Awards. He was saluted for his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers."^[63]
• A 2005 concert, "Musicares: A Tribute to Brian Wilson," was held in Wilson's honor, during which he was named MusiCares Person of the Year. Performers included Jeff Beck, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Earth Wind & Fire, Barenaked Ladies, and The Backstreet Boys, among others.
• On May 20, 2005, Wilson and two of the other original-era Beach Boys (Al Jardine and David Marks) were honored with the unveiling of the Beach Boys Historic Landmark on the former site of the Wilson family home in Hawthorne, California.
• In 2005, Wilson won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Mrs. O'Leary's Cow.
• In November 2006, Wilson was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Wilson performed "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" at the ceremony.
• On December 2, 2007, the Kennedy Center Honors committee recognized Wilson for a lifetime of contributions to American culture through the performing arts in music.
• May 20, 2011, Wilson received the UCLA George and Ira Gershwin Award at UCLA Spring Sing.^[64]

Comments of other musicians[link]

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• Paul McCartney, The Beatles

I listened to a lot of different bass players - mostly Motown records. They were great and the bass player, who I found out later was James Jamerson, was an influence. So smooth, melodic, and solid. I really liked Marvin Gaye records. And, of course, I’ve always liked Brian Wilson all the way through The Beach Boys. But Pet Sounds blew me away. It’s still one of my favorite albums. When I first heard it, I thought, Wow, this is the greatest record of all time! Brian took the bass into very unusual places. The band would play in C, and Brian would stay in G. That kind of thing. It gave me great ideas. That musical invention of Brian Wilson was eye-opening, I mean, ear-opening.

It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I’ve just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life … I figure no one is educated musically ’til they’ve heard that album … I love the orchestra, the arrangements … it may be going overboard to say it’s the classic of the century … but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways … I’ve often played Pet Sounds and cried.^[65]

I played it to John so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence … it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines … and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded ‘Pepper’, it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines.

“God Only Knows” is a big favorite of mine … very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. On “You Still Believe In Me”, I love that melody – that kills me … that’s my favorite, I think … it’s so beautiful right at the end … comes surging back in these multi-colored harmonies … sends shivers up my spine.”

• Neil Young

His music definitely affected mine – the harmonies. Of course I never played in a band that could sing like that. He’s got the whole band retarding every once in awhile – he’s got a feel for it and he’s got everybody playing and it’s not something you naturally do. It’s something that he shows you where to lay back – where to slow down. You hear the band doing it just like it happens on the record – it’s no accident. I love you, Brian. I’m there for you.^[65]

• Bob Dylan

… Jesus, that ear. He should donate it to The Smithsonian. The records I used to listen to and still love, you can’t make a record that sounds that way. Brian Wilson, he made all his records with four tracks, but you couldn’t make his records if you had a hundred tracks today.

• Art Garfunkel, Simon & Garfunkel

When I heard "Good Vibrations" for the first time on the radio I called Paul [Simon] immediately and I said: "I think I just heard THE greatest, MOST creative record of them all."^[66]

Brian showed us all the endless possibilities in what's been recorded, and how it can be layered and combined or subtracted to create something eternal.^[66]

Brian's sense of "the possible" certainly came from his California roots, which to me has always represented the promise and sweetness in America. He gave us the most lovely chords, that are shaded and illustrative of the lyric. And since he was able to achieve that with a sense of fun, with that joyousness, he became our Mozart of rock-'n-roll.^[66]

• Stevie Wonder

I’ve always been into harmonies, so I was inspired by that part of what they (the Beach Boys) were doing. It definitely influenced a generation of kids.

• Bono, U2

The genius of his music is the joy that’s in it. I know that Brian believes in angels. I do too. But you only have to listen to the string arrangement on God Only Knows for fact and proof of angels."^[67]

• Eric Clapton

All of us, Ginger (Baker), Jack (Bruce), and I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that’s ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one. Brian Wilson is, without a doubt, a pop genius.

• Elton John

"Pet Sounds is a landmark album. For me to say that I was enthralled would be an understatement. I had never heard such magical sounds, so amazingly recorded. It undoubtedly changed the way that I, and countless others, approached recording. It is a timeless and amazing recording of incredible genius and beauty.

Brian Wilson has influenced me more than any other songwriter, whether it's English or American. Because of the way he shaped his chords, the way...I'm getting very technical now, but he never used...he...the root note of a chord, he used the 5th or the 3rd and changed the chord sound completely. [...] I have never been influenced so much as songwriter by anybody as much as Brian Wilson.^[68]

• Linda Ronstadt

I don’t think there’s anyone his equal in popular music for this fifty years. They were really deep, profound emotions that came out of a lot of pain.^[69]

• David Crosby

He was the most highly regarded pop musician in America, hands down. Everybody by that time had figured out who was writing and arranging it all. “In My Room” was the defining point for me. When I heard it, I thought “I give up – I can’t do that – I’ll never be able to do that.”^[69]

One of the hallmarks of Brian Wilson’s genius is to turn powerful emotions and terrible tragedy into life-affirming art that helps and heals. Music that in our darkest moments gives us hope and soothes our soul.^[68]

I owe Brian. We all do. Everybody in American pop music owes him. He was the first and one of the best. [...] He pushed the envelope in pop music. He changed what was possible in pop music.^[68]

• Graham Nash

He was way advanced of what anybody was doing at that point. And I think the Beatles recognized that and I think every harmony group in the world recognized that there was some different thing going on – something very sophisticated.^[69]

• Phillip Glass

Pet Sounds became an instant classic when it first appeared. Listening to it today, it is, perhaps, easier to see why it was one of the defining moments of its time, along with the music of the Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead … its willingness to abandon formula in favor of structural innovation, the introduction of classical elements in the arrangements, production concepts in terms of overall ‘sound’ which were novel at the time, all these elements give Pet Sounds a freshness that, thirty years later, is immediately there for the listener.^[69]

• Leonard Bernstein, conductor

There is a new song, too complex to get all of first time around. It could come only out of the ferment that characterizes today’s pop music scene. Brian Wilson, leader of the famous Beach Boys, and one of today’s most important musicians, sings his own ‘Surf’s Up.’ Poetic, beautiful even in its obscurity, ‘Surf’s Up’ is one aspect of new things happening in pop music today. As such, it is a symbol of the change many of these young musicians see in our future.

[Brian Wilson] is one of the greatest composers of the 20th century.^[70]

• Mike Love, The Beach Boys

It was perfect, vocally, in terms of the notes, and the timbre, and the quality. But Brian had another idea… I mean, it was some vibrations about it… somebody had an impure thought… I finally started calling him “dog ears”, because he could obviously hear something that most human beings cannot.

• Dennis Wilson, The Beach Boys

Brian Wilson is the Beach Boys. He is the band. We’re his fucking messengers. He is all of it. Period. We’re nothing. He’s everything.

• Carl Wilson, The Beach Boys

Every once in a while, an individual is born into the world whose whole being is music. I think Brian is one of those rare people.

• Bruce Johnston, The Beach Boys

[Brian] combines the brilliance of Rachmaninoff and the command power of General Patton. ^[71]

• Burt Bacharach

Pet Sounds is brilliant. Brian Wilson is one of the greatest innovators of my decade or any decade.

• Jimmy Webb

I don’t think that the California Myth, the dream that a few of us touched, would have happened without Brian, and I don’t think Brian would have happened without the dream. They’re inseparable.

• Van Dyke Parks, lyricist, SMiLE

Music is Brian Wilson’s best friend, lover, everything. On a one-to-one basis, it’s the only thing that has never wronged him. It’s when people, and gossip, and record companies came into play that things went askew. The music never betrayed him. And given Brian’s vulnerable, exclusive nature, it’s only natural that it’s the central fact and concern in his life. He may forget a name or a contract, but he never forgets the music. It’s a consequence of devotional thinking, and geniuses are prone to it.

• Tom Petty

I think I would put him up there with any composer – especially Pet Sounds. I don’t think there is anything better than that, necessarily. I don’t think you’d be out of line comparing him to Beethoven – to any composer. You really wouldn't. The word genius is used a lot with Brian. I don’t know if he’s a genius or not, but I know that music is probably as good as any music you can make.^[69]

• Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac

The first time I heard Pet Sounds, I have to admit that I did a little bit of knee-jerk in the same way probably the record company and some other people did because it wasn’t as accessible as Brian’s songwriting approach had been up to that time. I’m not sure I fully appreciated that until years later (when) I started making records myself.^[69]

• George Martin, producer, The Beatles

"If there is one person that I have to select as a living genius of pop music, I would choose Brian Wilson.

Without Pet Sounds, The Beatles’ next album, Sgt. Pepper, wouldn’t have happened. Revolver was the beginning of the whole thing. But Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds. Hearing Pet Sounds gave me the kind of feeling that raises the hairs on the back of your neck. You say, ‘What is that? It’s fantastic!’^[72]

One of the great things about Brian's music is its marvellous unpredictability. He avoided cliches, he gives his melodies changes of direction that amaze and charm the listener. And Brian's sounds take us into a new, beautiful countryside.^[73]

It could be argued that The Beatles had become, culturally, the most important group of the Sixties. They defined the era. Yet I have to say that Brian was the musician who challenged them most of all. No one made a bigger impact on The Beatles than Brian.^[73]

By my standards, Brian Wilson is still a young man, a living genius of pop music. His invention and creativity reached a level that I always found staggering. He gave The Beatles and myself quite a good deal to think about in trying to keep up with him. And like them, he pushed forward the frontiers of popular music. His art is that magical combination of really original compositions, a wonderful sense of instrumental colour and a profound understanding of record production. I guess you could say I'm a fan.^[73]

• Elvis Costello

Last summer, I heard “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)” played on the cello. It sounded beautiful and sad, just as it does on Pet Sounds. So now you know, if all the record players in the world get broken tomorrow, these songs could be heard a hundred years from now.

• John Cale, The Velvet Underground

What Brian came to mean was an ideal of innocence and naivety that went beyond teenage life and sprang fully developed songs. Adult and childlike at the same time. I thought how it was difficult for me not to believe everything he said. There was something genuine in every lyric. That can be a very heavy burden for a songwriter.^[69]

• Billy Corgan, The Smashing Pumpkins

Brian Wilson the astronaut, peering down from the Heavens, coolly dreaming of California girls. An idealized pop utopia that widens the senses and soothes the ears. Lands the spaceship, finds nothing but disco and platform shoes and decided to take another trip around the moon for good measure and to search for the elusive lonely harmony. Landing back down for the millennium, our astronaut decided it’s time. Time to stop and hear what he’s brought back.

• Tim Smolens of Estradasphere

I mean Brian Wilson was the best music producer there ever was! By far there's not anyone that can do anything remotely similar. His would all be one track.. it would be as if Mr. Bungle or Estradasphere knew every instrument we wanted to and got everyone in the same room and boom, there's the take.

• Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3

For Brian Wilson - and I feel this way too - there isn't a difference between production and songwriting. They're one and the same. In the late '60s the idea that the studio could be used as a compositional tool was almost like an epidemic. That idea has gradually faded, though, and now you hear a lot of things that are just production or just a great song. When you hear a marriage of the two, it's such a refreshing experience.

• ?uestlove, The Roots

He's a modern day Stravinsky, the way he constructs his music, he's a madman...He was doing stuff [40 years ago] that modern people do now, looping his work and stuff. There's a track on Smile with a whole bunch of tubas having a conversation with trumpets. It's great.^[74]

• Don Was

In the fall of 1989, I was working with a band who turned me on to the bootlegged recordings of Brian Wilson’s legendary, aborted Smile sessions. Like a musical burning bush, these tapes awakened me to a higher consciousness in record making. I was amazed that one, single human could dream up this unprecedented and radically advanced approach to rock ‘n roll. I was really stunned when I met him several months later. Far from the catatonic drug burn-out the tabloids loved to depict, the guy I got to know was lucid and happening. When we started to mess around in the studio, it became clear that he was capable of making a record every bit as complex and beautiful as Pet Sounds whenever he felt like it. How could a talent so great be so misunderstood and under appreciated?

My personal favorite is “Caroline No”, his paean to lost innocence. I hear the weary voice of a man who’s been hurled through the emotional wringer and yet, one can plainly discern the youthful sweetness, optimism and goodness that characterizes Brian’s soul. It’s that dichotomy that makes him one of the most enigmatic and endearing characters of these times.

A lot of people just hear things like “Fun Fun Fun” and don’t get all this fuss about Brian Wilson the great genius. So much of it is subtle, and a large part of his genius is that it sounds simple. I was like that myself until I really started listening properly. I didn’t even understand all the fuss about Pet Sounds. But I think a lot of people who love The Beach Boys have had that experience when they first discover this music on a deeper level. It gets to you, and nothing else compares to it. You can’t listen to anything else. Professionally, I found it crippling. I couldn’t write a song for about three years afterwards. Every time I sat down to write, I just thought, What’s the point? Brian Wilson did it so much better 25 years ago.

Discography[link]

• Brian Wilson (July 12, 1988)
• I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (August 15, 1995)
• Orange Crate Art (with Van Dyke Parks) (October 24, 1995)
• Imagination (June 16, 1998)
• Live at the Roxy Theatre (June 2000)
• Pet Sounds Live (June 11, 2002)
• Gettin' in Over My Head (June 22, 2004)
• Smile (September 28, 2004)
• What I Really Want for Christmas (October 18, 2005)
• That Lucky Old Sun (September 2, 2008)
• Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (August 17, 2010)
• In The Key Of Disney (October 25, 2011)

Additional appearances:

• The Wilsons (1997)

See also[link]

The Beach Boys portal

• List of songs by Brian Wilson
• Beach Boys Historic Landmark
• A Tribute To Brian Wilson - Radio City Music Hall (March 29, 2001)

Notes[link]