During the 1960s, Al Jardine found himself working alongside Brian Wilson to create what would become the Beach Boys. Unknown to them at the time, that band would catapult them to international fame. Over the passing decades, the group sold over 100 million albums and landed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But sadly, on June 11th, news broke that Wilson passed away at 82. With countless artists and celebrities paying their respects to the songwriter, Jardine recalled the last time he saw Wilson before he passed.
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Speaking with People, Jardine revealed that he constantly kept in touch with Wilson throughout the years. Even when they got older, the two remained close. Taking a trip with his wife Mary Ann, Jardine decided to stop by and pay a visit to Wilson. Not knowing it would be the last time they would talk, the singer admitted, “The first thing he did is he looked at me, right in my eyes. He said, ‘You started the band. ’I said, Okay, well Brian, thank you, but you had a little bit to do with it too.’”
Although taking the compliment, Jardine never forgot how the band started and the crucial role Wilson played in the group’s success. Back when Jardine attended El Camino Junior College, he bumped into Wilson. “I said, ‘Brian, we’ve got to start a band together.’ And it just started. It just happened right then.”
Al Jardine Insisted Brian Wilson Created A “New Musical Language”
While Jardine pushed forward with the Beach Boys, Wilson had somewhat of a rocky road with the band as he struggled with substance abuse and his mental health. But no matter what, Jardine always kept his friend in the band. “The band would get together and sing for him. He wouldn’t participate, but the idea was to keep him involved. It was really cool…. He was having difficulties, but he seemed to be recovering from it. So [his death] has been quite a shock.”
With Jardine missing his friend, he insisted that Wilson found happiness when meeting his second wife, Melinda. Although she passed in 2024, the musician remained surrounded by his kids. “His family surrounded him right to the end. I think he was content. His kids love him. We all loved him.”
As for Wilson’s legacy in music, Jardine declared his friend created a new musical language. “Anyone who came in contact with Brian was highly influenced by him because he took the same notes that everybody else has and made a new musical language out of them. He was funny, savvy — and very humble.”
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