Brian Wilson: Beach Boys star who surfed the waves to success
Brian Wilson, who has died aged 82, was considered one of the world's most influential recording artists.
Born in California in 1942, he showed early musical talent, teaching harmonies to his younger brothers Dennis and Carl and obsessively studying piano.
In 1961, Wilson, his brothers, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine recorded Surfin', a local hit that marked the birth of The Beach Boys.
Signed to Capitol Records a year later, the band shaped 1960s American pop with hits such as Surfin' USA, I Get Around and California Girls.
The 1966 album Pet Sounds, which included the track God Only Knows, remains a landmark in modern music, influencing generations of artists including Sir Paul McCartney, who called it his favourite record.
Sir Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Smokey Robinson and Carole King were also fans, while The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, fantasised about joining the Beach Boys.
The band ranks among the most popular groups of the rock era, with more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million and they were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Originally unfinished in the 1960s, he finally completed and released Smile in 2004 to critical acclaim.
Wilson struggled with mental illness and drug addiction, but in later years he toured globally.
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New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
Like His Music, Brian Wilson's Style Was Deceptively Complex
The band name was a fluke. Looking to cash in on the burgeoning surf culture in the United States, the record executive who first brought Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine together on the obscure Candix Records label in Southern California wanted to call the assembled musicians 'The Surfers.'' But another group, as it happened, had already claimed the name. And then there was an additional problem: only one of the band members, Dennis Wilson, actively surfed. And so, as Brian Wilson — the architect of the band's sound and image, whose death, at 82, was announced by his family on Wednesday — tweeted back in 2018, the promoter Russ Regan 'changed our name to the Beach Boys.' He added that the group members themselves found out only after they saw their first records pressed. Originally, the band had another name. It was one that speaks not only to the aural backdrop the Beach Boys provided for generations but also to their enduring influence on global style. As teenagers in the late 1950s and early '60s, the band had styled itself the Pendletones. It was a homage to what was then, and in some ways still is, an unofficial uniform of Southern California surfers: swim trunks or notch pocket khakis or white jeans, and a blazing white, ringspun cotton T-shirt worn under a sturdy woolen overshirt. The shirts the Pendletones wore were produced by the family-owned company, Pendleton Woolen Mills of Portland, Ore., and had been in production since 1924. The shirts were embraced by surfers for their over-the-top durability and the easy way they bridged the intersection between work and leisure wear. The blue and gray block plaid, which Pendleton would later rename as the 'Original Surf Plaid,'' was worn by every member of the Beach Boys on the cover of their debut album, 'Surfin' Safari.' It was a look that, novel then, has since been quoted in some form by men's wear designers from Hedi Slimane to Eli Russell Linnetz and Ralph Lauren. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I created my own funeral photo montage — so I know I'll be remembered at my hottest
What was meant to be a low-key night of snacks and laughs took an unexpectedly emotional turn for two best friends. Instead of their usual catch-up routine, Alexis arrived at Jasmine's home with a laptop and a surprise: a fully edited 24-minute funeral montage of herself, complete with dramatic music, touching tributes, and heartfelt messages. 'I made my funeral montage,' Alexis told People she said as she casually as she connected her computer to the TV. Jasmine was in shock. 'Girl, get this out of my house!' she said. The moment, captured in a now-viral TikTok video, resonated with thousands online. 'Having a morbid best friend who works in funeral and cemetery services is not for the weak,' Jasmine captioned the video. Alexis has spent over six years working in the funeral industry, and for her, confronting mortality isn't unusual. She says her Mexican-American background, which embraces death as a natural part of life, influenced her perspective. 'I've always been a little morbid and creepy,' she admits with a laugh. The idea for the montage stemmed from recent personal events. A motorcycle accident involving Jasmine's cousin left the family scrambling due to a lack of legal or end-of-life plans. 'He's a young man, so he had no will, he had no nothing,' Alexis said. 'That was one of the questions I was asking: does he have anything like a power of attorney? Who's making the decisions here?' Fortunately, he survived, but the incident made her realize how important it was to plan ahead and inspired her to take control of her own legacy. Alexis didn't stop at just the video. She's written her will, assigned power of attorney and even designated who will inherit her favorite Star Wars t-shirts. 'I'm really particular, and I don't trust anybody to do things the way that I want to do it,' she said. 'If this happens to me, you make sure I'm right. Don't have me looking all crazy with two different-shaped eyebrows. I got to have my nails done. I want a specific color of flowers.' Though Jasmine initially reacted with humor and disbelief, the montage soon had both women in tears. 'By pre-planning and getting your affairs in order and even doing stuff like this, you're unburdening your family from having to do this,' Alexis explained. 'I've been in this situation where I've had to put this together at the time of somebody's passing, and you're just miserable.' Going viral caught them by surprise. Jasmine originally shared it privately on Instagram, thinking it was just another funny moment between friends. But viewers were captivated by the blend of dark humor and genuine love between the two women. 'It just so happened to go viral,' Jasmine said. 'At the time, I wasn't thinking about that. But I was like, let me show all the people that follow me what this dummy's up to today. Because it's always something with her.' Some commenters expressed concern that Alexis was 'manifesting' her death, but both women dismiss that. 'Planning your funeral is no different from writing a will,' Jasmine said. 'It's not about expecting the worst. It's about being prepared.' For Alexis, laughter is a key part of her approach to life and death. 'I just want everyone to be miserable without me,' she joked. But she also wants them to smile and laugh, too. Her perspective has influenced Jasmine as well. 'I used to be super afraid of death. Like, don't even talk about it,' Jasmine admitted. 'But being friends with her, going through my own medical traumas and things, I've learned to cope with it through comedy, laughing, and accepting it. We all know we're going to pay taxes, and we're all going to die. None of us know when.' Their friendship, built on honesty, laughter and shared experience, has helped both women embrace difficult conversations and find joy in the unexpected. 'Nothing in life is ever that serious,' Alexis said. 'Even death.'
Eater
an hour ago
- Eater
The Biggest Restaurant Openings in June
This is Eater's guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes that opened in June 2025. This list will be updated weekly and is a round-up of new places in the city we're interested in checking out. When we've been to a place, and like it, we will then include an abbreviated number of openings on our heatmap to let you know the ones that are actually worth it. Stay tuned. If there's an opening in your neighborhood that we've missed, let us know at ny@ Bushwick: Debbie's Burgers, a burger stand, has opened in a Bushwick roll-gate garage. It serves American wagyu smashed patties with its speciality topped with chili, cheddar, grilled onions, and pickled jalapeños. 192 Seigel Street, at Bushwick Avenue Hudson Yards: Outdoor bar from Crew, behind boat bars like Grand Banks, has opened the 200-seat outdoor Sailor's Choice. The name refers to a shorthand for a cold brew over ice with a lime. 350 11th Avenue, at 30th Street Lower East Side: Gazebo from Eddie Huang has opened for the summer in the Flower Shop. It offers a three-course dinner for $80 that displays olive oil from his wife's family property in Greece. Look for dan dan noodles with cherrystone clams and pancetta, lion's head meatballs, and whole-tail lobster toast with Hainan-style lobster claws over rice. 107 Eldridge Street, at Grand Street Midtown: Fast-casual Yumpling has opened a Manhattan location. The Taiwanese spot from Chris Yu serves pan-fried dumplings, rice bowls, and the classic beef noodle soup. 16 E. 52nd Street, near Madison Avenue Upper East Side: Housed in the longtime La Grenouille for around 50 years, a Chinese restaurant serving fancy variations on Beijing duck has opened: iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House kept the fancy dining room as-is. 3 E. 52nd Street, at Fifth Avenue West Village: A clubhouse for what's left of the media elite has opened in the Marlton Hotel. Chez Nous, a brasserie from former book editor and agent David Kuhn, has opened with former chef of Le Bibloquet, Flossie Gilles overseeing the menu. 5 W. Eighth Street, at Fifth Avenue West Village:Foursome has opened, a Mediterranean restaurant that leans Turkish, is serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a 60-seat art-filled room. 9 Jones Street, at West Fourth Street See More:
