Beach Boys Biography

The Beach Boys are a pop music group born and formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961 who are widely considered one of the most influential bands in rock and pop music history. They have recorded dozens of Top 40 hits (including four US #1 singles), many best-selling albums, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

The original group comprised singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson; his brothers, Carl and Dennis; their cousin Mike Love, and friend Alan Jardine. Many changes in both musical style and personnel have occurred in their sometimes-stormy career, including Brian Wilson's mental illness, drug addiction and eventual withdrawal from the group; the deaths of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998; and continuing legal battles among surviving members of the group.

After Carl Wilson's death, founding member Al Jardine retired from touring with the band. However, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston leased the rights to the name from Brother Records, and continue to officially tour as The Beach Boys.