Carl Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carl Wilson
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Wilson in 1964
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Carl Dean Wilson |
| Born | December 21, 1946 Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 6, 1998 (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1961–1997 |
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Carl Dean Wilson (born December 21, 1946 – died February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was one of the people who started The Beach Boys. Carl was their main guitarist. He was also the youngest brother of bandmates Brian and Dennis.
Carl was a big part of the band's sound. He was influenced by guitar players like Chuck Berry. At first, he mostly played guitar and sang backup. Later, he sang lead on many famous songs. These include "God Only Knows" (1966) and "Good Vibrations" (1966). He also sang on "I Can Hear Music" (1969) and "Kokomo" (1988).
Carl was different from other band members. He often played with professional studio musicians. This was during the band's most popular time in the mid-1960s. When Brian Wilson became less involved, Carl helped produce many of their albums. He worked on albums like 20/20 (1969) and Holland (1973).
In the 1980s, Carl tried to have a solo career. He released two albums: Carl Wilson (1981) and Youngblood (1983). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Beach Boys in 1988. Carl Wilson passed away in 1998 at age 51 from lung cancer.
Contents
Carl Wilson's Life Story
Early Years and Music Success
Carl Dean Wilson was born in Hawthorne, California. He was the youngest of the three Wilson brothers. His older brothers were Brian and Dennis. From a young age, Carl practiced singing harmonies. His brother Brian often sang with him and their mother.
When Carl was 12, he asked his parents for a guitar. He took lessons and learned to play. He remembered learning fingerpicking and strumming from his teacher. Carl's guitar style, inspired by Chuck Berry, became a key part of the early Beach Boys sound. He also studied the saxophone in high school.
When Carl was 15, the Beach Boys had their first local hit, "Surfin'" (1961). His father, Murry, bought him a Fender Jaguar guitar. Carl grew as a musician through the band's early recordings. He helped create the "surf lick" sound in songs like "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964). In 1964, Carl also helped write "Dance, Dance, Dance". He contributed the guitar riff and solo.
By late 1964, Carl started using a 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. This guitar was also used by other famous musicians of that time.
In the band's first three years, Carl didn't sing lead very often. By 1965, Brian started using experienced studio musicians for the band's instrumental parts. This was because the music was becoming more complex. However, Carl often played alongside these session musicians. His guitar playing can be heard on songs like "California Girls" and "That's Not Me".
After Brian stopped touring in 1965, Carl became the band's musical leader on stage. He started singing lead more often. He sang on hits like "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations". Brian asked Carl to be more involved in making the Beach Boys' records. This started with the album Wild Honey.
Carl's Work in the 1970s
In 1969, Carl Wilson produced his first song for the Beach Boys, "I Can Hear Music". He became the band's main leader in the studio. He produced most of their albums in the early 1970s. Carl also started writing more songs. For the 1971 album Surf's Up, he wrote "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows". Carl felt "Long Promised Road" was his first real song.
After producing albums like Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" (1972) and Holland (1973), Carl's leadership role changed. This was because Brian Wilson briefly became more involved again.
For the album L.A. (Light Album) (1979), Carl wrote four songs. One of them, "Good Timin'", became a Top 40 hit in America. Carl also worked with other artists. He produced records and sang backup vocals for many musicians. He sang on songs by Chicago and Elton John. He also sang a duet with Olivia Newton-John.
Carl's Solo Career
By the early 1980s, the Beach Boys were having some disagreements. Carl was frustrated that the band wasn't recording new music. He decided to take a break in 1981. He quickly recorded his first solo album, Carl Wilson. This album had many rock and roll songs. It briefly appeared on the music charts. Its second song, "Heaven," was a top 20 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Carl also went on a solo tour to promote his album. He was the first Beach Boy to do a solo tour. He played in clubs and opened for the Doobie Brothers.
Carl recorded a second solo album, Youngblood, in 1983. By the time it came out, he had rejoined the Beach Boys. Even though Youngblood didn't chart, a song from it, "What You Do To Me," reached number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carl often performed this song and "Heaven" at Beach Boys concerts in the 1980s. "Heaven" was always played as a tribute to his brother Dennis, who passed away in 1983.
Later Years and Legacy
The Beach Boys' 1985 album, The Beach Boys, featured Carl's singing and songwriting. His songs "It's Gettin' Late" and "Where I Belong" were highlights.
In 1988, the Beach Boys had a huge hit with "Kokomo". It went to Number 1 in the US. Carl sang lead in the chorus of this song. Carl continued to record music through the 1990s. He also toured with the Beach Boys until the last few months of his life.
Carl Wilson's Passing
Carl became ill in Hawaii in early 1997. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had been smoking cigarettes since he was a teenager. Despite his illness and treatments, he continued to perform with the Beach Boys. He played and sang throughout their entire summer tour in 1997.
Carl Wilson passed away from lung cancer in Los Angeles on February 6, 1998. He was surrounded by his family. His death happened just two months after his mother, Audree Wilson, passed away. He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Music Released After Carl's Death
The album Like a Brother, which Carl recorded with Robert Lamm and Gerry Beckley, was released in 2000. Carl's voice has also appeared on other albums after his death. Brian Wilson's album Gettin' in Over My Head (2004) features Carl's singing from an unreleased Beach Boys song.
In 2010, bandmate Al Jardine released his solo album, A Postcard From California. It includes a song called "Don't Fight The Sea" with one of Carl's last recorded vocals. Carl's voice can also be heard on many Beach Boys archival releases.
During The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour, a part of the show honored Dennis and Carl. The band sang along with Carl's isolated vocals on "God Only Knows." They also sang with Dennis's vocals on "Forever." Pictures of the brothers were shown on a large screen behind the band.
Carl Wilson's Personal Life
Carl Wilson was a conscientious objector. This means he refused to join the American military during the Vietnam War because of his beliefs. By 1988, Carl became an ordained minister in the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. This is a religious group.
Carl was married twice. He had two sons, Jonah and Justyn, with his first wife, Annie Hinsche. His second marriage was to Gina Martin, daughter of Dean Martin. This marriage lasted until Carl's death.
Carl had an Irish Setter dog named Shannon. The dog's death inspired the emotional 1976 hit song "Shannon" by Henry Gross.
Images for kids
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A Rickenbacker 360/12 similar to Carl's 12-string guitar
See also
In Spanish: Carl Wilson para niños
