Carl Wilson died february 6th, 1998.  He was a member of the legendary Beach Boys, and sang lead on all of their 'pretty' songs, such as "God Only Knows" which Paul McCartney recently named the greatest song of all time.  Everybody loved him, and when all the Beach Boys were fighting back and forth over royalties and the rights to their name, nobody ever had a bad word to say about Carl.  He's been gone 5 years now to cancer, truly a great loss to the world... there's probably been 5 million kids born as a result of his voice.  

Testimonials from the
CARL WILSON TRIBUTE CONCERT
(October 18, 1998, The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA)
 

 
PAUL SHAFFER (Musical Director, the CBS Orchestra)
Carl was a wonderful friend and supporter of mine. He had the disposition and voice of an angel, and God only knows what we all would have been without him.


HAL BLAINE (L.A.'s #1 session drummer)

When it comes to Carl Wilson, he was the only other Beach Boy with us when we were recording. You couldn't find a sweeter guy. I know that he was a little bit intimidated when he first came in (working with the heavyweights who were making all these hit records), but he was just as nice as he could be and worked just as hard as anybody -- he probably worked harder than anybody. He always did a terrific job, and he was just a wonderful guy.

I was really very, very saddened over his passing. Thank goodness he had a wonderful life, and you have to think about the good times. When I think about Carl on the road and all the good times that he had with The Beach Boys and the fact that life was real good for him, it doesn't get any better than that.

We all grow up and, if we want to be musicians, we're thrilled if we get to do something. Something always leads to something else. For Carl and Brian and the whole gang you couldn't get any bigger. Here it is 35 years later and it's still superstardom, super records and just wonderful, wonderful memories. It was just so much fun. All those years were wonderful years.

And Carl, wherever you are up there, save a spot for some drums.


DANNY HUTTON (Three Dog Night)

The one thing my wife liked to do on tour was to go backstage with our children and visit Carl. He was always so considerate, gentle and kind. He went out of his way to be nice to us. He made my family feel very welcome. He had a very big heart, and I always got along great with him.


CAROL KAYE (L.A.'s #1 session bass player)

Carl Wilson was the embodiment of the talented, caring young man of the '60s -- a quiet man with the voice of an angel, a good guitarist and the central heart of the entertaining Beach Boys. His spirit is forever imprinted on our lives, his love of music forever ours. I am so proud to have been a part of The Beach Boys recordings, you cannot know.


DAN AYKROYD (Blues Brothers)

When Lorne Michaels, John Belushi and I went out to do The Beach Boys television special for NBC we had some ideas for the show.

One was for us to arrest Brian and take him surfing. When the concept for this and other scenes were proposed to various business representatives of the enormous franchise which this band had become, the answers came back: "Run it by Carl. Carl should hear that. Talk to Carl." So we consulted Carl and found the truest barometer of humor and music for the project.

We also found a fun bag of immense depth and generosity with a boundless capacity for sharing in his interpretation of the best life had to offer.

We were among the fortunate to have been in his sphere of music, mirth and mega-good times.

I hope he is one of the first to greet me when it's my time to cross.





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MORE TESTIMONIALS

DEWEY BUNNELL (Founding member of America)

Carl was always there for our band. Since the beginning of our career (1970), we performed with the Beach Boys more than any other group, virtually every year, and Carl was always supportive. He was a very generous guy in every way. I will always remember the great time we had in a farm house in Omaha, Nebraska, while recording an album called Hourglass. Carl flew out to help us with vocals on several tracks, and we had a great time living together for that short week... cooking, singing, and enjoying the company. His passing left an empty place in all our hearts... but he will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace, Dear Brother.

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Brian Wilson has issued this statement about his brother:
"The world has lost a beautiful voice and one of the most spiritual people I've ever known.
It goes without saying we are all going to miss him very much. I could not have made the music I did in my life without Carl by my side. I can't believe that I'm never going to get to sing with him again. He was tremendously supportive of my efforts.
In honor of his memory, I'm dedicating my future music to my brother Carl."

 Fellow Beach Boy Alan Jardine said of Carl:
"I would just like to say that we're really all still grieving for Carl. ... His passing really affected us all profoundly. He was the spiritual center of the group, and he had so much to offer and his departure was so premature. It's still hard to imagine. We had fully expected him to recover. He had fully expected that too. It's just a terrible loss losing him."

Fellow Beach Boy Bruce Johnston said:
"I honestly didn't expect an early departure. I am shocked and saddened, naturally. I'm going to really miss singing 'God Only Knows' with Carl, my favorite song to sing in concert."

BILLY HINSCHE
Carl Wilson was a blessing in my life. No one has ever meant so much to me and no one has ever done so much for me, both personally and professionally. He was my best friend, bandmate, employer, confidant, mentor and the brother I never had.

Carl was my trusted counselor. I could always go to him when I had a personal problem that I needed advice on. He was wise and would gently guide me in the right direction.

Carl was my champion. He would go to bat for me and stand up for me when others turned their backs. Carl fought the good fight because he stood for Truth, Honesty and Integrity. He was always there for "the little guy."

Carl was constantly striving for spiritual growth. His was a real spirituality. It wasn't store-bought. He walked the walk. He didn't strut his stuff, he simply and humbly lived it.

Carl was a very loving person and if you ever met him, you'd never forget him. He was a kind man. Sensitive to the needs of others, soft-spoken and polite. He went out of his way to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. He was charismatic, charming and handsome. He carried himself with dignity and grace.

His speaking voice was soothing and comforting. His singing voice was incomparable. He had perfect pitch to match his flawless delivery and phrasing. The timbre in his voice was often imitated but never duplicated.

He had a keen sense of humor and loved a good joke. I often went to great lengths to make him laugh, even if it was at my own expense. I was willing to risk everything just to see him crack up and to hear his wonderful laughter.

His guitar playing inspired a young generation of kids, like me, to pick up an instrument and learn how to play -- and he could rock with the best of them. He had a very personal style of playing the piano. It was intuitive and inspired. His own music reflected the depth and breadth of his soul and creativity.

He was the leader of the band. No one knew the vocal and instrumental parts like Carl did. His attention to detail and his knowledge of every nuance of every song was astounding. He insisted that the group not only play and sing the parts accurately but that they do so with feeling. He was a total professional.

Finally, Carl was so good to my family -- Pop, Mom and my sister, Annie. He was so loved by them. My nephews, Jonah and Justyn, are the wonderful result of that union and they both embody so many of the best qualities of their father.

As you can see, my life has been so enriched for having known Carl Wilson.

The Angels, Archangels and the rest of the celestial hierarchy took Carl, I'm sure, and accompanied him on his journey back to God, his mother and brother. I have no doubt that he has taken his rightful place among the Heavenly Hosts and Saints that have gone before him.

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I just hope when I die I've meant half as much to half as many people.  

Not here, man... another thread please.