Search Results - Wilson, Carl

Carl Wilson

Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's ''de facto'' leader in the early to mid-1970s. He was also the band's musical director on stage from 1965 until his death.

Influenced by the guitar playing of Chuck Berry and the Ventures, Wilson's initial role in the group was that of lead guitarist and backing singer, but he performed lead vocals on several of their later hits, including "God Only Knows" (1966), "Good Vibrations" (1966), "Wild Honey" (1967), "Darlin'" (1967), "I Can Hear Music" (1969) and co-lead vocals with his brother Brian on "Surf's Up" (1971) which failed to chart as a single but is often regarded as one of the band's best songs. Unlike other members of the band, he often played alongside the session musicians employed during the group's critical and commercial peak in the mid-1960s. After Brian's reduced involvement with the group, Carl produced the bulk of their albums between ''20/20'' (1969) and ''Holland'' (1973). Concurrently, he spent several years challenging his draft status as a conscientious objector.

During the 1980s, Wilson attempted to launch a solo career, releasing the albums ''Carl Wilson'' (1981) and ''Youngblood'' (1983). In the 1990s, he recorded material with Gerry Beckley and Robert Lamm, later released for the posthumous album ''Like a Brother'' (2000). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beach Boys in 1988. Wilson was also a member of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, a religious corporation. He died on February 6, 1998, at the age of 51, of lung cancer. Provided by Wikipedia