Tag Archives: Brian Wilson

Music Monday: June 16, 2025

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Last week music lost two revolutionary giants two days apart. Each one wrote a phenomenal chapter of American music which changed their respective genres in ways that remain significant & vital in every way.

Sly Stone passed away on June 9, 2025 at age 82. The musician, singer, songwriter, producer and arranger for Sly & The Family Stone-a band of black & white men and women-who perfected the sound of funk by infusing it with rock, pop, jazz & soul. Stone’s musical prowess began in childhood and by 1966, he had founded the band with his name. By 1968 they had their first Top Ten hit (“Dance To The Music”) followed by three #1 hits over the next three years before the affects of fame including addiction took their toll on Stone. But the legacy of what he & The Family Stone created stood on its own.

Two of their best live performances were captured on film. The first in 1970’s, “Woodstock”, where they were the only R&B/Soul performers during the “peace & love” concert weekend & in 2021’s “Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”. For more of an inside look into Stone’s life, his 2023 autobiography, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)“, is an intense & provocative read.

Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart: March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025.

Top: Sly Stone circa 1967. Middle: The Family Stone circa 1970. Bottom: Stone on “Late Night With David Letterman” in the 1980’s. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Brian Wilson, a founding member of The Beach Boys and the visionary behind their 1966 acclaimed Pet Sounds album, died on June 11, 2025 at age 82. He was the band’s primary songwriter, singer, producer & arranger who brought the surf sound from a novelty niche to a multi-sensory experience. I may not have been a fan of the summer soundtrack he & his band created, but Wilson’s talent was never lost on me.

The dark side of his musical gift was a life of struggle that began with a difficult childhood, mental illness, addiction and reclusiveness that left him vulnerable to people looking to manipulate him in his unstable condition. All of that cost him so much. But in the end Wilson found his music again, he found love again & he found life again. 

Brian Douglas Wilson: June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025.

Top: Brian Wilson circa 1967. Middle: The Beach Boys circa 1964 (L-R): Dennis Wilson, Brian, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Carl Wilson. Bottom: Wilson circa 2015. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Sly & The Family Stone: “Everyday People” (1969, written by Sylvester Stewart a/k/a Sly Stone).

Sly & The Family Stone: “Family Affair” (1971, written by Sylvester Stewart a/k/a Sly Stone).

Sly & The Family Stone: “If You Want Me to Stay” (1973, written by Sylvester Stewart a/k/a Sly Stone).

The Beach Boys: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (1966, written by Tony Asher, Mike Love and Brian Wilson. Produced by Brian Wilson.).

The Beach Boys: “God Only Knows” (1966, written by Tony Asher and Brian Wilson. Produced by Brian Wilson.).

The Beach Boys: “Good Vibrations” (1967, written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson. Produced by Brian Wilson.).

Stay safe & well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 510

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

Aug 2021 blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

On this day in 1969 The Beatles took the iconic photograph that would become the cover of their final studio album. It was August 8, 1969 when The Fab Four walked in stride at the crosswalk outside Abbey Road studios, which they used as the title to their last record, released the following month.

Around the same time three years earlier, the group released Revolver. It was hailed as an innovative gem & marked significant growth in the four men as musicians and songwriters. George Harrison bemoaned one of the trappings of success with his song “Taxman”. John Lennon added a psychedelic feel to “Tomorrow Never Knows” while allowing Harrison a chance to experiment with a backwards lead guitar part on the glorious “I’m Only Sleeping” (Day 178).

But for me it was two of McCartney’s songs that I found most beautiful. The first, “Here There and Everywhere” was said to be inspired by Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows”. And today’s track featured one of my favorite instruments ever, the French horn, which I fell in love with because of this song. It was yet another example of how The Beatles took some very scenic routes to make their legendary music.

“And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years“.

Abbey

Revolver_(album_cover)

Top: An unused picture from the Abbey Road photo shoot with The Beatles walking in reverse from the photo which was chosen for the record. Bottom: The group’s 1966 release. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

The Beatles: “For No One” (1966, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.