LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Brian Wilson (L) and Al Jardine (R), founding members of The Beach Boys, perform onstage during the ‘Something Great from ’68 Tour’ at The Greek Theatre on September 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys performs at The George H.W. Bush Points Of Light Awards Gala at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on September 26, 2019 in New York City.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Brian Wilson, founding member of The Beach Boys, performs onstage during the ‘Something Great from ’68 Tour’ at The Greek Theatre on September 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA – MAY 04: Singer Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys performs onstage during Day 2 of the BeachLife Festival at Redondo Beach on May 04, 2019 in Redondo Beach, California.
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A Change.org petition urging a boycott of the Beach Boys for co-headlining a safari hunters’ convention with Donald Trump Jr. this week has picked up a couple of notable signatories: two of the group’s founding members, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine.
“It has been brought to my attention that on Wed., Feb. 5, the Beach Boys touring group licensed by Mike Love are headlining at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nevada,” Wilson wrote in a tweet. “This organization supports trophy hunting, which both Al and I are emphatically opposed to. There’s nothing we can do personally to stop the show, so please join us in signing the petition,” he added.
The Safari Club International had previously responded to statements against the gathering posted by the Humane Society by reaffirming its pride in having “acclaimed author and accomplished conservationist Donald Trump Jr.” as its keynote speaker at the convention, being held in Reno Feb. 5-8.
Monday night, Variety obtained a statement from Love, in response to the petition and Wilson’s support of it: “We look forward to a night of great music in Reno and, as always, support freedom of thought and expression as a fundamental tenet of our rights as Americans. Peace & Love, Mike Love.”
The Change.org petition, under the headline “Tell the Beach Boys to Say No to Trophy Hunting!,” includes a long-publicized photo of Donald Trump Jr. and his brother, Eric, posing with a dead leopard. As of late Monday afternoon, the five-day-old petition had 64,000 signatures.
The petition, started by Eduardo Goncalves, says that the convention “is the world’s biggest wildlife killing market — a staggering 870 companies will be selling trophy hunting holidays and wildlife body parts including animal heads this year.” The open letter section of the entreaty endorsed by Wilson and Jardine reads: “Dear Beach Boys Manager Elliott Lott: We the undersigned pledge to stop buying or downloading all Beach Boys music, going to Beach Boys concerts, and purchasing any Beach Boys merchandise until the Beach Boys withdraw from the SCI Convention and publicly state their opposition to this sick ‘sport’ of killing animals for ‘fun.’ We will call on the Beach Boys’ record label, agent and publicists to disown the Beach Boys, and on members of the public to protest at forthcoming Beach Boys concerts, unless they do so.”
Factions of the Beach Boys have often been at odds over the years, but Wilson and Jardine toured with Love and other original members as part of a 50th anniversary tour in 2012 before going their separate ways again. They last came together to promote the Beach Boys’ satellite radio channel in 2018. Love has the rights to use the group’s name on tour. Some fans have been critical of Love for being friendly with the president and attending his inauguration, although he has said the group is politically neutral.
Reps for Mike Love and the Beach Boys did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Wilson and Jardine are on their own separate long-running tour, under Wilson’s name as a solo artist, also spotlighting the Beach Boys’ material; they’re currently on the Cayamo music cruise and could not be reached for comment.
Related slideshow – The Beach Boys: Career in pictures (Provided by Photo Services)
Formed in California, The Beach Boys are considered one of the most iconic American rock bands — selling over 100 million records worldwide. One of its founding members, Mike Love, turns 76 on March 15, 2017. On this occasion, let’s look back at the career of this classic band that underwent dramatic changes through the years.
The Wilson brothers — Brian, Carl and Dennis — lived in Hawthorne, California. From an early age, Brian had the gift for harmonic invention and writing lyrics. Their father Murry Wilson’s piano playing style also influenced his music.
(Pictured L-R) Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Dennis Wilson.
Their cousin Mike Love (pictured) joined the musical group after a song he wrote, but sung by Brian, was heavily appreciated at a family gathering. They formed a band named The Pendletones, which was comprised of the Wilson brothers, Mike Love, and Brian’s friend Al Jardine.
While their parents were away on a vacation in 1961, the boys used the emergency fund to rent musical instruments to work up an arrangement for their first song, “Surfin’.” Dennis (pictured), an avid surfer, suggested the theme for the song and Brian and Mike wrote the lyrics.
The Pendletons recorded two surfing song demos in October 1961. Murry Wilson shared the demos with Herb Newman, owner of Candix Records, who signed the group in December 1961.
When their single was finally released, the band was shocked to see their name changed to the Beach Boys. They learned that the label wanted to call them The Surfers but since another band by that name already existed, they settled for The Beach Boys to directly associate them with the increasingly popular teen sport.
The single “Surfin'” soon became a local as well as national hit. It peaked at No. 75 on the national pop chart. Their growing popularity gave them the opportunity to perform at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance in Long Beach on New Year’s Eve in 1961, alongside Ike & Tina Turner.
During their initial days, the band wore heavy wool jacket-like shirts that local surfers preferred, before replacing it with their trademark striped shirts (pictured). Murry Wilson was the band’s manager in their early days.
Al Jardine left the band in February 1962 and was replaced with David Marks. The Beach Boys released their second single, “Surfin’ Safari,” in June the same year, followed by “409.” The band next signed with Capitol Records and they released their first studio album “Surfin’ Safari” in November 1962, which reached No. 32 on the U.S. Billboard charts.
In March 1963, The Beach Boys released their second studio album, titled “Surfin’ U.S.A,” whose songs focused on the California youth lifestyle. It was Brian’s first attempt at doubletracking vocals, and it reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart. Al Jardine rejoined the band in April 1963 at Brian Wilson’s request. The band released two more albums during that year — “Surfer Girl” and “Little Deuce Coupe.”
David Marks left the band in October 1963 after conflicts with Murry Wilson. In December, the band released a standalone Christmas-themed single, “Little Saint Nick,” backed with an a capella version of the popular scriptural song “The Lord’s Prayer.”
By early 1964, the Beach Boys faced stiff competition from soon-to-be-legendary British boy band, the Beatles. Capitol Records represented The Beatles as well and insisted the Beach Boys release their next album fast to avoid a dip in popularity. The band released “Shut Down Volume 2” soon after and the singles “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “The Warmth of the Sun,” and “Don’t Worry Baby” were major hits.
The band next released the single, “I Get Around,” which reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts. Two months later, they released the album “All Summer Long,” which introduced striking new textures to The Beach Boys’ sound — exemplified by the piccolos and xylophones of its title track. The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. The single, “The Man with All the Toys,” from their 1964 Christmas album, was also a major hit.
In 1965, following a panic attack on a flight due to the stress of continuous touring and composing, Brian Wilson (L) decided to stop performing, and focused on songwriting and record production instead. Glen Campbell served as Wilson’s temporary replacement in concerts until April 1965.
Bruce Johnston (2nd row, L) replaced Glen Campbell soon after and became a full-time member of the band in May 1965.
Looking to move beyond surf rock and love songs, the band released the album “The Beach Boys Today!” in 1965. It consisted of guitar-oriented pop songs such as “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Good to My Baby,” as well as ballads like “Please Let Me Wonder” and “She Knows Me Too Well.”
In June 1965, The Beach Boys released their ninth studio album “Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).” One of the singles, “California Girls,” became an instant hit and is now considered a classic of the 1960s California Sound. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010.
(Pictured L-R) Al Jardine and Mike Love.
For their 1965 album, the band recorded acoustic covers of several 1950s rock and R&B songs. Their rendition of The Regents’ “Barbara Ann” became a major success and reached No. 2 on U.S. charts.
(Pictured R) Brian Wilson.
In May 1966, the band released their 11th studio album — “Pet Sounds” — where Brian Wilson demonstrated his musical expertise through the use of unconventional instruments and elaborate layers of vocal harmonies. While the album reached No. 2 in U.K. charts, it failed to impress the American audience. Comprising singles like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Sloop John B,” it is considered as one of the earliest rock concept albums. “Pet Sounds” was ranked second in “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list by Rolling Stone magazine.
Brian Wilson continued his musical experimentation with the single “Good Vibrations,” released in October 1966. It became the band’s biggest career to that point — topping both the U.S. and U.K. charts.
Brian Wilson (pictured) collaborated with lyricist Van Dykes Parks to create an ambitious album —”Smile.” However, resistance from other band members for its abstract lyrics and music, topped with Wilson’s erratic behavior and substance abuse, forced him to abandon the project. Later, in 2004, he released it as a solo project titled “Brian Wilson Presents Smile.”
The band continued its journey with albums like “Smiley Smile,” “Wild Honey,” “Friends,” and “20/20” — all of which were moderate successes. In 1968, the Beach Boys became the first major American rock band to play behind the Iron Curtain, when they performed in Czechoslovakia. The band sued Capitol Records in 1969 for non-payment of royalties worth millions, and started their own label — Brother Records.
In 1970, the band was signed on by Reprise and released its next album “Sunflower.” It was a commercial and critical dud, and resulted in the band’s lowest domestic chart showing to that point.
The band appointed Jack Rieley as their new manager, and Carl Wilson gradually assumed leadership of the group. In August 1971, they released the album “Surf’s Up,” which reached the U.S. Top 30. The Beach Boys also performed a near sell-out set at Carnegie Hall.
In January 1973, the album “Holland” was released, whose single “Sail On, Sailor,” hit No. 79 on the U.S. charts. On its re-release in 1975, it rose to No. 49. Through 1973 to 1975, the band released a slew of compilation albums and toured across the U.S.
Brian Wilson (pictured) returned as a major force in the band with the 1976 album “15 Big Ones.” However, the album was panned by both fans and critics. Their next outing, “Love You,” peaked at No. 53 in the U.S. Over the years, that album developed a cult following, regarded as an early work of synthpop.
The band’s next two albums — “M.I.U.” and “L.A. (Light Album)” — fared poorly. While Dennis Wilson withdrew from the group to pursue a solo career, which never took off, all three Wilson brothers battled alcoholism.
With Brian Wilson unable to contribute, Bruce Johnston was rehired as the band’s producer. They signed a contract with CBS Records and released singles like “Good Timin'” and “Lady Lynda.” The group suffered another blow when Carl Wilson (R) quit in 1981 to concentrate on his solo career. He returned in 1982.
In 1983, Brian Wilson returned to the stage with the group but in the same year, his brother and the band’s co-founder Dennis Wilson (pictured) drowned after diving off his friend’s boat.
The band, however, continued to be a successful touring act. They performed before a million-strong crowd in Philadelphia in 1985. The same year, they released the eponymous album “The Beach Boys,” which renewed people’s interest in The Beach Boys. They followed it by releasing two singles — “Rock ‘n’ Roll to the Rescue” and a cover of the Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’.”
In 1988, the band’s single “Kokomo,” which appeared in the film “Cocktail” starring Tom Cruise (pictured), topped the U.S. charts — making it their biggest-selling single ever.
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
In 1989, the band released their 26th studio album, “Still Cruisin’.” It consisted of mostly the band’s soundtrack songs, including “Kokomo,” as well as a few originals like “Still Cruisin’,” “Somewhere Near Japan,” and “Island Girl.” The album received gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The 1992 album, “Summer in Paradise,” was a critical and commercial dud.
In 1995, Brian Wilson paid Mike Love $5 million, settling a long-running legal dispute over songwriting credit and royalties on songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “California Girls.” In 1996, they released “Stars and Stripes Vol. 1,” a collaborative album between The Beach Boys and various country musicians.
In 1997, Carl Wilson (pictured) was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. He died on Feb. 6, 1998 at the age of 51. He was replaced by David Marks, an original member who quit the group in 1963.
Following Carl Wilson’s death, Love, Johnston, and Marks continued touring under The Beach Boys’ name. Al Jardine, on the other hand, toured with his band dubbed Beach Boys: Family & Friends. Love sued Jardine against using the Beach Boys’ name and Jardine counter-sued, claiming he had been excluded from the band’s concerts. Following a lengthy legal battle, the court ruled in favor of Love. The surviving members of the band appeared in the Alan Boyd-directed documentary “Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story” in 1998.
In 2001, the band received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
(Pictured L-R) Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson and David Marks receive Double-Platinum awards celebrating domestic sales of more than 2 million units for the band’s hits compilation “Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys” in 2006.
In 2006, the five surviving Beach Boys members — Brian Wilson, Mike Love (R), Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston (L), and David Marks — appeared together for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of “Pet Sounds” at the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles.
In 2011, the rock band released recordings from “Smile” in the form of “The Smile Sessions.” The album won the Best Historical Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. After the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011, the band released a charity single, “Don’t Fight the Sea.”
(Pictured) Brian Wilson poses with the Grammy Award.
The title track of their 29th album, “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” made its national radio debut in April 2012 at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard. The same year, along with reissues of 12 of their albums, the group released the “Fifty Big Ones” and “Greatest Hits” compilations. In 2013, they released “Live – The 50th Anniversary Tour” — a 41-song, 2-CD set recording of their 50th Anniversary Tour.
At the 2014 Ella Awards ceremony, Al Jardine (R), David Marks, Bruce Johnston and Mike Love (C) appeared together. Love was honored for his contribution as a musician, Marks sang “409” in honor of Love, and Jardine sang “Help Me Rhonda.” The show closed with “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
In 2015, Brian Wilson performed with Al Jardine and former members Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar at The Venetian Las Vegas. Band members Mike Love and Bruce Johnston last performed in Truro, Canada, on the occasion of Canada Day in July 2016.
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A spokesperson for the SCI passed along a statement in response to the petition that refers to protests in general but not to the Beach Boys specifically. It says the organization “is and always will be equally dedicated to both the conservation of wildlife and the right to free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.
As such, we support the right of anti-hunting petitioners to protest our convention, but we hope they understand how much more they could achieve by working with us instead of against us. Each year, the hunters that make up our chapters do more for wildlife and the conservation of species and habitats than any online petition will ever do.”
