I was out on the boat early this morning, fishing line in, drinking coffee, listening to an old Beach Boys song. This made me think of, and then very much miss, my late Uncle Bill — one of my life’s favorite people.
Uncle Bill was an early Beach Boys fan. Perhaps this led an impressionable young me to grow up to also be an unapologetic Beach Boys fan. Nevertheless, my subconscious has always connected the two — 1960s Beach Boys and 1960s Uncle Bill.
Later in the day, I read the sad news that the Brian Wilson had passed away. He, of course, was the artist behind the Beach Boy sound — those beautiful, dreamy, positive, melodic vocal harmonies.
RIP Brian Wilson. Thank you for your gift to us. And goodbye, again, Uncle Bill.
There are so many, but here is an older Brian Wilson re-recording one of his timeless classics, God Only Knows:
And here is where it all started, back in the early 60s: