ABC/Randy HolmesWhat are the chances that two of the most acclaimed pop music composers in history would have been born just two days apart? On Sunday, Paul McCartney turned 75, and today it’s Brian Wilson‘s turn.
The founding Beach Boys singer and songwriter wrote the music to nearly all of his band’s best-known songs, from the Southern California group’s early surf-rock classics to their complex, multilayered recordings of the mid-1960s and beyond.
With his impressive gift for vocal harmonies and musical arrangements, Wilson helped craft one of the most celebrated albums of all time — The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds — and its equally lauded follow-up single “Good Vibrations,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December ’66.
Since last year, Wilson and his solo band have been commemorating Pet Sounds‘ 50th anniversary on a world tour that’s featured a complete performance of the acclaimed album. The trek, which has been extended multiple times, is currently scheduled to wrap up with an October 14 concert in Costa Mesa, California.
Brian’s many career achievements include induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Beach Boys in 1988, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000 and receiving the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007.
Wilson also continues to write and record new music. His latest solo album, No Pier Pressure, was released in 2015 and featured guest appearances by a wide variety of artists, including Beach Boys alumni Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin, as well as fun. frontman Nate Ruess; actress and indie-pop singer Zooey Deschanel; and country star Kacey Musgraves.
Last year, Wilson told ABC Radio that he was planning a new album featuring his renditions of his favorite vintage rock ‘n’ roll tunes, although no details have been announced about the project.
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