Latest news with #AlJardine
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Al Jardine will have an 'empty seat' on tour after Brian Wilson's death
Beach Boys star Al Jardine is going to have an "empty seat" on his upcoming tour following Brian Wilson's death. The singer-songwriter died on Wednesday (11.06.25) aged 82 and his former bandmate Jardine has admitted the news came as a huge shock because he thought his pal was "on the mend" - admitting he had been expecting Wilson to make a guest appearance on stage at his next shows and had even ordered a piano for him. Jardine told Variety: "I saw Brian about a month ago, and he looked like he was on the mend. We were in the living room just chatting, as he was having a blood oxygen test. "He had a nurse there, and she said: 'Well, things are looking good,' so I was not too concerned ... "I thought he was going to be with us for some time. I was looking forward to him coming to the rehearsals in L.A. And I ordered a piano to be there for him." Jardine then added: "So it'll be an empty seat, I guess." The music star added of his friend's loss: "I get emotional. Unfortunately, yeah, I tend to tear up. But I'm OK." Jardine is going ahead with his tour, which is due to kick off in July, and he's planning to honour his late pal's memory onstage by playing some Beach Boys tunes - especially as he'll be working with musician Darian Sahanaja - who spent years performing in Wilson's solo band. He explained: " I think it will keep the spirit alive, and I think, yeah, it'll be more meaningful, possibly ... "I think we'll shed light on what he had accomplished, and we're looking forward to it. If we can get by. If we can get through it emotionally. I've got a feeling there's gonna be some tears up there, but we'll just have to get through it somehow." News of Brian's death was announced this week and a post on the Beach Boys' Instagram account, which featured an archive picture of the singer, read: "The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure. "Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound. "The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own. "Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom—music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities. "We are heartbroken by his passing. We will continue to cherish the timeless music we made together and the joy he brought to millions over the decades. "And while we will miss him deeply, his legacy will live on through his songs and in our memories. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and his loved ones during this difficult time."
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Paul McCartney says ‘musical genius' Brian Wilson was ‘bright shining light'
Sir Paul McCartney has said The Beach Boys star Brian Wilson was a 'musical genius' and a 'bright shining light' after his death aged 82. The 82-year-old Beatles bass player has previously cited Wilson's work as an inspiration for his own, and collaborated with him on Wilson's 2014 solo album Gettin' In Over My Head. Advertisement He also took part in his induction into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2000. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney) 'The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. In a post on Instagram, Sir Paul said: 'Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. 'I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows'. Thank you, Brian.' His tribute comes after the surviving original members of The Beach Boys honoured the 'genius' of Wilson. Advertisement His cousin Mike Love, 84, said Wilson's 'musical gifts were unmatched' while Al Jardine described his bandmate as 'my brother in spirit'. Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three brothers who formed the American rock band with Love and school friend Jardine in 1961. 'The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note – Brian changed the course of music forever,' Love wrote in a lengthy post on Facebook, saying there was 'something otherworldly' about Wilson. 'Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.' Advertisement Describing Wilson as 'fragile, intense, funny' and 'one of a kind', he said his music 'allowed us to show the world what vulnerability and brilliance sound like in harmony'. 'Brian, you once asked 'Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?'. Now you are timeless,' he wrote. Posting a picture of himself with Wilson on Facebook, Jardine, 82, said: 'I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives as long as you were.' 'You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever.' Advertisement On Wednesday, Wilson's family said in a statement to his website: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.' Sir Elton John posted on Instagram, saying Wilson was 'always so kind to me' and 'the biggest influence on my songwriting ever'. 'He was a musical genius and revolutionary,' he wrote. 'He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and changed music forever. A true giant.' Bob Dylan was among other musical stars to pay tribute, with the 84-year-old posting on X that he was thinking 'about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius'. Advertisement Fellow singer-songwriter Carole King, 83, described Wilson as 'my friend and my brother in songwriting' while former Velvet Underground member John Cale said on X he was 'a true musical genius toiling away at melding POP into startling sophistication'. Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian. — Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) June 11, 2025 Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, 78, paid tribute to Wilson and US musician Sly Stone, who died earlier this week, in a social media post, saying: 'Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.' His bandmate Keith Richards, 81, posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, on Instagram recalling hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The extract reads: 'When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on… 'It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it's a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.' Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, described Wilson as 'our American Mozart' in a post on X while The Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz said 'his melodies shaped generations, and his soul resonated in every note'. We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025 Wilson was born on June 20 1942, and began to play the piano and teach his brothers to sing harmony as a young boy. The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson's bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California with Wilson playing bass alongside his brothers Dennis as the drummer and Carl on lead guitar. The band were managed by the trio's father, Murry Wilson, but by mid-decade he had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band's recording sessions almost from the start, was in charge. They released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the well known songs Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Wilson married singer Marilyn Rovell in 1964 and the couple welcomed daughters Carnie and Wendy, whom he became estranged from following their divorce. The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson and Mike Love (PA) He later reconciled with them and they sang together on the 1997 album The Wilsons, which was also the name of a music group formed by Carnie and Wendy following the break-up of pop vocal group Wilson Phillips. Wilson, who had dealt with mental health and drug problems, got his life back on track in the 1990s and married talent manager Melinda Ledbetter. When Ledbetter died last year, Wilson said their five children, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, Dash and Dakota, were 'in tears'. Wilson was also embroiled in multiple lawsuits some of which followed from the release of his 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001. Wilson's brother Dennis died in 1983 while Carl died in 1998.
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
From a Birmingham council estate to Beach Boys tour manager
A former tour manager for the Beach Boys has said the legendary frontman Brian Wilson would want to be remembered for his 82-year-old Californian singer's death was announced by his family on Wednesday, saying they were Tomes, who worked with the band on and off over 45 years, remembered a pinch-me moment when he first joined them on tour."I fly out of Northfield [in Birmingham] and I'm in South Africa, I'm standing watching the Beach Boys. I'm crying, because I'm like, wow, how did this happen?" he said. "It's quite surreal - I'm 25 years old, I'm a kid from a council estate in Northfield, and I'm a tour manager." The Beach Boys were one of the USA's biggest bands of the 1960s, who introduced surf-rock to worldwide audience with songs like I Get Around, Surfin' USA and Good group was formed by Wilson with his younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al has paid tribute to Wilson as a "humble musical giant" with "huge musical intellect".Mr Tomes, who had already worked with Alvin Stardust and Lulu before joining the Beach Boys on tour, described Wilson as "amazing" and his music as "timeless"."Brian was a very complex character. 'Genius' has been used a lot which is absolutely true," he said. "He always came back to music and that's the important thing." Speaking of the group's friendly rivalry with The Beatles, Mr Tomes said Wilson had initially abandoned his Smile album in the 1960s when he heard Sgt Pepper, "because he said it wasn't good enough".Eventually publishing it 45 years later, Wilson said he put the album on the shelf as it was "too far ahead of our time". 'Best song ever written' Sir Paul McCartney has written that he was "privileged to be around Wilson's "bright shining light for a little while".Mr Tomes said: "Brian was in awe of The Beatles and I remember at one of the gigs for the Smile album Paul McCartney was there and he said he believed that God Only Knows was the best song ever written... and he's probably right."Now a publicist, Mr Tomes described his memories of the band as "so special" and added he had kept in touch with them over the the sadness around Wilson's death, he said the "music lives on". Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘He taught the world how to smile': Brian Wilson bandmates pay tribute along with Bob Dylan, Elton John and more
Following his death aged 82, Brian Wilson's Beach Boys bandmates have been among those paying tribute to one of the great figures in American popular music. Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Al Jardine described Wilson as 'a real gentleman, a real musical intellect, who taught the world how to smile.' Jardine added: 'He was a humble musical giant … he didn't want attention, was only interested in making the best possible music.' He described the band's early days, saying that he along with the Wilson brothers and their cousin Mike Love 'became one big happy family. We started in a very humble way, singing about domestic things like surfing and cars and girls. The more successful we became, he grew exponentially with each album. He learned to write creatively, and taught us with that same energy how to interpret it. He knew how to get the best out of us. He was a good teacher, a great mentor, and arranger, producer – he was the whole package.' Mike Love wrote his own tribute, saying: 'Today, the world lost a genius, and I lost a cousin by blood and my partner in music. Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of the Beach Boys – he was the soul of our sound. From the first time we sang together as kids in my living room, I knew there was something otherworldly in him. His musical gifts were unmatched. The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note – Brian changed the course of music for ever.' He acknowledged the 'ups and downs' in their relationship – he sued Wilson numerous times, and won an out of court settlement after claiming Wilson defamed him in his 1991 memoir. But, he added, 'we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano, or his spontaneity in the studio.' Wilson's daughter Carnie wrote: 'My father was every fibre of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends. I am lucky to have been his daughter and had a soul connection with him that will live on always. I've never felt this kind of pain before, but I know he's resting up there in heaven.' Bob Dylan said he had 'thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius', Carole King heralded a 'friend and brother in songwriting', while Mick Fleetwood, bandleader with Fleetwood Mac, wrote: 'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!!' Musician and film-maker Questlove said that 'if there was a human being who made art out of inexpressible sadness … damn it was Brian Wilson'. Elton John remembered the collaborations he made with Wilson, who provided vocal harmonies on John's 2010 album with Leon Russell, The Union. 'I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever,' John wrote. 'He was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music for ever. A true giant.' The tributes follow one made on the official Beach Boys social media channels, which read in part: 'The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music for ever.'
The National
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Remembering the night Brian Wilson brought Pet Sounds to Dubai on his final world tour
brought some unseasonable warmth in what turned out to be his first and only Gulf concert, at Dubai Tennis Stadium in 2016. A near-capacity audience, a mixture of diehard Beach Boys fans, local musicians and the curious, packed Centre Court to see the musician, often described with the clichéd term 'tortured genius', perform the entirety of Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys' seminal and perennially sunny 1966 album, alongside their greatest hits. The historic nature of the night was underscored by the presence of fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine and longtime collaborator Blondie Chaplin among the 10-piece band. The show felt like a welcome surprise on what would become Wilson's final sprawling world tour. Following his death on Wednesday, aged 82, that unexpected visit now feels like part of a quiet farewell, a last glimpse of a faltering genius and a reminder of why Pet Sounds remains one of the most important pop albums of the 20th century. While the album spoke to the almost spiritual comforts of love and companionship, the performance carried a raw emotional honesty. Seated behind a white piano, Wilson performed as a living symbol of resilience, a man who endured decades of inner turmoil yet still found his way to the stage. That message was echoed in Love and Mercy, the well-received Beach Boys biopic released two years earlier. 'It was very rough to talk about the negative parts of my life, but I'm glad I did because it tells people what I went through and my message of hope,' Wilson told The National before the show. 'Not to do drugs is so important for people to know and learn about. It felt good to get it out and open up.' The 32-song set list in Dubai was expansive. Rarely has the city heard such majestic harmonies. Wilson's vocals, understandably at 74, didn't always hold up. As The National 's reviewer noted, some of the soaring vocal lines fell short or were wisely handed over to the capable backing band. It didn't matter. When the group launched into California Girls, Help Me, Rhonda and Surfin' U.S.A., the atmosphere turned giddy, with dancing in the aisles. 'It would take a true cynic not to smile at these timeless pop masterpieces,' the review noted. Wilson would go on to confine his touring to the United States until 2022, a move he had hinted at in the same interview. 'We want as many people as possible to see and hear Pet Sounds performed live, but after a while it's time to move on to other things,' he said. 'I'm not stopping touring. I love touring, so I look forward to the future with old and new material.' Now, with Wilson gone, that night in Dubai means something else. It wasn't just a stop on a tour. It was a rare moment when the region hosted one of pop's most complex and influential figures. 'You still believe in me,' he asked the crowd, introducing the song of the same name. The fans roared. They always believed. 'I'd like to be remembered as a good singer,' he told The National in closing. His voice may have faltered, but it always landed within us. Right where it was meant to.
