The Beach Boys Documentary: Where Are the Band’s Members Now?
The influence of the American rock band The Beach Boys on modern music is immense. Formed in 1961, they are one of the most critically and commercially successful bands of all time. Throughout their career, they have released 29 full-length albums, with all of them being one of a kind.
Interestingly, Variety recently reported that Disney+ will release a documentary about them on May 24, 2024. Titled The Beach Boys, this project is described as a celebration of the band’s music, career, and undying legacy. Furthermore, it will feature interviews with its current and former members. In addition, there will also be interviews with popular faces in music such as Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monáe, Ryan Tedder and Don Was.
The directors of The Beach Boys are Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, while its writer is Mark Monroe. Its producers are Kennedy/Marshall and White Horse Pictures. According to a Disney+ press release, this project’s synopsis 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.”
Since its inception, nine individuals have been a part of The Beach Boys. They are Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, David Marks, Blondie Chaplin, and Ricky Fataar. While most of them are still alive, some of them have passed away.
According to People Magazine, here is where the current members of The Beach Boys are now:
Brian Wilson, 81
The Beach Boys was founded by siblings Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Initially, Brian regularly performed with the band, however, he became a full-time studio artist in 1964. Interestingly, he encountered a death scare in 1982 due to a drug overdose. After this incident, the rest of the band forced him to get help.
Brian performed with The Beach Boys years later in 2012, on the band’s 50th anniversary. He was married to Marilyn Rovell from 1964 till their divorce in 1979. However, he married Melinda Ledbetter in 1995, with whom he has five adopted children: Daria Rose, Delanie Rae, Dakotah Rose, Dylan, and Dash.
The 2015 biopic Love & Mercy, starring John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks, was based on Brian Wilson’s life. Furthermore, a year later, he released his autobiography titled I Am Brian Wilson.
Brian has suffered from mental health issues throughout his life. In 2019, this prompted him to cancel several live performances. In 2022, several famous musicians, including Elton John and Smokey Robinson, celebrated his 80th birthday.
Earlier this year in January, his wife Melinda Ledbetter died at the age of 77. Brian expressed his grief on Instagram by writing, “My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost,” he wrote. “Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career.
The statement further read, “She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.”
After his wife’s passing, Brian’s family filed for a conservatorship over the singer. According to the filing, he suffered from a “major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)”.
Mike Love, 82
When The Beach Boys signed their record deal in 1962, Mike Love was the oldest member at 21. He remained with the band since the very start and once even sued his cousin Brian. As a settlement, Love received songwriting credits for 35 songs and even a whopping $5 million. In 2019, he told the Herald-Tribune, “There was always the perception that my cousin Brian did all the writing as well as the producing and stuff like that. That was not true. I was the co-author of so many of the big hits.”
Mike Love performed with The Beach Boys regularly and Brian Wilson shared the stage with them in 2012, for the band’s 50th anniversary. Furthermore, he has released four solo albums throughout his career and even a memoir titled Good Vibrations in 2016.
He has been married five times: Francie St. Martin (1961 to 1963), Suzanne Belcher (1965 to 1968), Tamara Fitch (1971 to 1977), Catherine Linda Martinez (1981 to 1984) and Jacquelyne Piesen (1994). According to People Magazine, he has over seven children.
Al Jardine, 81
Al Jardine wanted The Beach Boys to have a folksy sound. However, the rest of the band didn’t second his vision. Right before they signed their record deal in 1962, he left the band. However, he returned in 1963 after David Marks’ departure.
Jardine was with the band for a long time but quit in 1998, after Carl Wilson’s demise. He was married to Lynda Sperry, from 1964 to 1982 with whom he has two children. In 1983, he married Mary Ann Helmandollar.
In 2005, Jardine authored a children’s book titled Sloop John B: A Pirate’s Tale. Five years later, he released his only solo album named A Postcard From California. In 2016, he went on tour with Brian Wilson for the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds.
In a 1988 interview with BAM Magazine, Al Jardine revealed that he had many The Beach Boys albums he adored. However, he had a special connection with the song California Girls from Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). He stated, “There’s too many; there’s just too much going on there. I mean, we could spend a year figuring that out. Emotionally favorite, maybe “California Girls.” I just enjoy that particular style, and that song reminds me of some kind of an anthem. There are so many things over the years that Brian [Wilson] has written that I’d totally forgotten about and, quite frankly, discarded.”
Jardine still regularly performs his music on the road.
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston joined The Beach Boys in 1965. In an interview with People Magazine, he recalled the time he joined the band and was called “the new guy”. He stated, “I was the new guy! That was one of the first ones I recorded — one of Mike Love’s great leads. When I joined the band, they were starting an album and Brian had a track: “Yeah, I call it ‘California Girls.’ Mike, I need some words!”.
Interestingly, it didn’t take long for Johnston to get along with the rest of the members. They released several albums together. Furthermore, there was a time when The Beach Boys released 3 albums within 11 months. In 1972, he left the band to pursue a solo career. However, he rejoined them in 1978.
In 2022, The Weeknd released a song titled “Here We Go…Again.”, where Bruce Johnston worked as a writer and a producer. In the same year, he collaborated with LOCASH on their track, “Beach Boys.”
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