The band is 50 years old and no other American band has more top 40 hits. No one has broken their record of records recorded.. They are the beach Boys that never learned to surf but they are now on tour again singing about surfing U.S.A. The history of this band is known for their harmonies, yes they are the original boy band that has not been harmonious to each other in the past.

For years the three original surviving band members Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine, have each toured with their own bands. They first reunited this past February at the Grammy Award Show. It was the only time in 50 years that they did the Grammies. The band formed in the boy’s home town called Hawthorn in a Los Angeles suburb when Brian Wilson and his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine would hang out together and layer their harmonies and practice.

Their first album “Surfin Safari” was released in 1962 and by the following summer, they were the hottest band in America at the time. Their manager the Wilson’s father, Murray drove the boys hard to do more music and more appearances and concerts. Now they reveal that the father was emotionally and physically abusive to the boys. Eventually they fired him which was awkward since he was an Uncle to one member and a Dad to other members.

In 1964 Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown and quit the band and retreated into the recording studio while the rest of the group stayed on the road. At that time he got into drugs and sex. A really damaging time for the band. In 1965 “Rubber Soul” was released by a new band called The Beetles and that inspired them to write more music. The two bands liked each other and Paul McCartney called the song”God Only Knows” of the Beach Boys one of the greatest songs he has heard that was on the Beach Boy album , “Pet Sounds.”

The two bands would alternate releasing albums. After “Pet Sounds” the Beetles released “Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” and The Beach Boys followed with “Smile.” The band thought they were getting too dreamy and soft on this album and didn’t like it. After that Wilson left for 40 years descending into drug abuse and mental illness. Without him the band became mostly a nostalgia act.

Dennis Wilson the drummer and only surfer of the band drowned in 1983, Carl Wilson died of Cancer in 1998. So, surrounded by lawsuits and feuds, the surviving members looked like they wouldn’t ever unite. This past spring they did unite after twenty years to make a new record. Somehow, all the harmonies just went into place as if they never separated and all the bitterness went away.

They even said, “How does a seventy year old man sound so good?” Four of the 5 members will be in their seventies before the year ends. Looks like The Beach Boys are trying to catch one more wave. So, you can let the past haunt you for a lifetime or you can put your battles behind you and reunite with someone or something you love and chances are it will seem like you have never left .