Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys celebrates his 78th birthday on Saturday (June 20th)!!! Wilson co-founded the group in 1961 with his late brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, his cousin Mike Love, neighbor David Marks, and high school buddy Al Jardine. It was Wilson's genius for arranging intricate harmonies that first set him apart from his peers, an ability made even more impressive because he is 97 percent deaf in his right ear. He is the sole-surviving member of his immediate family, with his father Murry dying in 1973, his brothers Dennis and Carl dying in 1983 and 1998, respectively, and his mother Audree passing on in 1997.
Between 1962 and 1967 Wilson produced a total of 22 Top 40 hits, including the group's classics “Surfin' U.S.A,” “In My Room,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Surfer Girl,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Don't Worry Baby,” “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “California Girls,” “Barbara Ann,” “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” “Good Vibrations,” and many more.
Re-released today (June 19th) in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, is Orange Crate Art — Brian Wilson's 1995 collaboration with Smile co-writer, Van Dyke Parks. Orange Crate Art, which featured Wilson layering dozens of vocal lines of Van Dyke's nostalgic and pictorial look at California, will now feature a previously unreleased cover of “What A Wonderful World,” along with two other tracks — as well as an instrumental bonus disc of the entire album.