The 1960s are often considered one of the greatest eras of music. Interestingly, The Beach Boys were formed in Hawthorne, California, at the start of this decade. It has been more than 60 years since their debut album, “Surfin’ Safari”; however, their impact on modern rock music can not be overlooked.
Disney+ will soon release a documentary on this iconic band titled The Beach Boys. This project will reportedly showcase their humble beginnings, rise to musical stardom, internal conflicts, and everlasting legacy. Not only will it feature never-before-seen footage, but according to Variety, it will also feature interviews with band members such as Mike Love, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston. In addition, famous faces in music like Janelle Monáe, Josh Kun, Lindsey Buckingham, Don Was, and more will make appearances.
The directors of The Beach Boys are Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, and the writers are Mark Monroe. Its producers are Marshall, Irving Azoff, Nicholas Ferrall, Jeanne Elfant Festa, and Aly Parker. Furthermore, its long list of executive producers includes Glen Zipper, Thom Zimny, Beth Collins, Jimmy Edwards, Susan Genco, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, Nigel Sinclair, Mark Monroe, Tony Rosenthal, Cassidy Hartmann, Ben J. Murphy, and Bruce Resnikoff.
According to its official trailer, the synopsis of The Beach Boys reads, “The Beach Boys” is a celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.”
The Beach Boys will begin streaming on Disney+ from May 24, 2024 onward.
Who founded The Beach Boys?
According to the Biography, The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 by Brian, Carl, Dennis Wilson, and their cousin Mike Love. Furthermore, Brian’s classmate Al Jardine was a part of their first-ever lineup. A year after their formation, they released their debut album, Surfin’ Safari. Subsequently, they released several albums throughout their career, the last one titled That’s Why God Made the Radio, released in 2012.
Here is a list of every album released by The Beach Boys:
- Surfin’ Safari (1962)
- Surfin’ U.S.A. (1963)
- Surfer Girl (1963)
- Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
- Shut Down Volume 2 (1964)
- All Summer Long (1964)
- The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album (1964)
- The Beach Boys Today! (1965)
- Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965)
- Beach Boys’ Party! (1965)
- Pet Sounds (1966)
- Smiley Smile (1967)
- Wild Honey (1967)
- Friends (1968)
- 20/20 (1969)
- Sunflower (1970)
- Surf’s Up (1971)
- Carl and the Passions – “So Tough” (1972)
- Holland (1973)
- 15 Big Ones (1976)
- The Beach Boys Love You (1977)
- M.I.U. Album (1978)
- L.A. (Light Album) (1979)
- Keepin’ the Summer Alive (1980)
- The Beach Boys (1985)
- Still Cruisin’ (1989)
- Summer in Paradise (1992)
- Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996)
- That’s Why God Made the Radio (2012)
The Beach Boys’ Wilson brothers had a harsh upbringing
Although The Beach Boys’ music has a fun and laid-back spirit, Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson’s childhood was ravaged by psychological, verbal, and physical abuse. The individual responsible for the abuse was none other than their father and initial manager, Murry Wilson.
Reports suggest that Murry might have removed his glass eye and forced his boys to gaze into the empty socket. Furthermore, according to the Biography, it is believed that Brian lost the ability to hear from one of his ears because of his father’s physical abuse. In a memoir titled I am Brian Wilson: A Memoir, the singer/songwriter revealed how he and his siblings grew up in a problematic home.
Murry Wilson sincerely appreciated music and pushed his sons to their chosen careers. According to the Daily Mail, Murry often pushed, shoved, and hit Brian, Carl, and Dennis. In the memoir, Brian wrote, “My dad was violent. He was cruel. Whenever I got afraid, he would yell at me slap me or call me a p***y. When he didn’t put his hands on us, he tried to scare us in other ways. He would take out his glass eye and make us look into the space where the eye used to be.”
Brian then mentioned how he would provoke his father by bringing him a plate of his feces. He did this as a sign of protest against the abuse Murry inflicted on him and his siblings. Even though Murry responded to this action violently, Brian didn’t stop serving him plates of his fecal remains. He wrote, “Sometimes I provoked my dad. Once I took a s**t on a plate and brought it to my dad. “Here’s your lunch. He was sitting down with his pipe in his mouth. “Get in the bathroom,” he said. Then he came in and whipped the hell out of me. I was bringing the plate to him because of the times I didn’t deserve. There were hundreds of those times, at least.”
Brian Wilson’s addiction to drugs was a result of his tough childhood
Brian Wilson stated that what affected him the most was his father’s inability to deal with his son’s fears. However, he is grateful to Murry The Beach Boys’ early success. Brian said, “Maybe the worst thing about my dad was how he dealt with my fear. He couldn’t deal with it. (He) brought us from the garage to the Pendletones [the first name of the group] to the Beach Boys. We were just kids. We might not have gone forward the way we did without my dad.”
Finally, in 1964, a frustrated Brian Wilson fired his father from The Beach Boys’ managerial position. Unfortunately, the singer wanted him and his band to stay relevant like their initial days. This came with a lot of mental pressure and eventual dependence on drugs. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Brian revealed how creating and recording music, touring, and changing flights daily affected his emotional and mental well-being.
He stated, “I was run down mentally and emotionally because I was running around, jumping on jets from one city to another on one-night stands, also producing, writing, arranging, singing, planning, teaching. To the point where I had no peace of mind and no chance to actually sit down and think or even rest. The rubber band had stretched as far as it would go.”
Reports suggest that Brian Wilson began smoking marijuana in 1964 and eventually moved to deadlier drugs like cocaine. His drug use got so severe that in 1982, he was on the verge of dying. Around this time, he left The Beach Boys to focus on a solo career and wouldn’t perform with them until 2012, on the band’s 50th anniversary.
Brian Wilson is married to Melinda Ledbetter, with whom he has 5 adopted children.
