[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                             THE BEACH BOYS

 Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, The Beach Boys' sunny vocal 
harmonies are one of the signature sounds of the modern era. Over four 
decades, the California quintet has become one of the most successful 
American bands in the history of rock and roll and their songs remain 
an important part of America's cultural landscape.
  The Beach Boys were largely a family affair that came together in the 
Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne, CA, in 1961. The three brothers, 
Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, formed the group with their cousin, Mike 
Love, and a friend, Alan Jardine They were joined by another of their 
friends, Bruce Johnston, in 1965.
  Brian Wilson and Mike Love cowrote the majority of the band's many 
hit singles which were known for their harmonic invention and complex 
vocal and instrumental arrangements. The lyrics are celebrated today 
for their deft use of technical lingo balanced with youthful naivete.
  The Beach Boys have ridden a wave of success for almost 40 years. 
They have recorded number one singles, garnered a huge fan base, and, 
by creating a sound that was uniquely their own, secured their position 
in Americana. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of 
Fame and have been honored with the National Association of Recording 
Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement award which they received at 
this year's Grammy awards.
  As we approach the 40th Anniversary of both the release of their 
first single and their first tour, I would like to recognize the 
contribution that these men have made, not only to the landscape of 
American music, but to the lives of their fans and fellow Americans. I 
have always been a fan of The Beach Boys' music, but I came to 
recognize their devotion to other causes when I met Mike Love through 
our mutual work with veterans. He told me that the group as a whole and 
the members individually have supported important causes throughout 
their years together. I learned about the Carl Wilson Foundation, which 
raises millions of dollars each year for cancer patients and research, 
and I discovered that the group has always been involved in fund-
raising performances that benefit a variety of groups. Bruce Johnston 
is dedicated to environmental causes and has been a member of the Board 
of Directors of the Surfrider Foundation since it inception in the mid-
1980's.
  Mike Love has been a longtime supporter of environmental causes and 
was among speakers at the Earth Summit in Rio DeJaniero in 1992 and 
Earth Day 2000 on the Mall in Washington, DC. Mike created the Love 
Foundation, which supports national environmental and educational 
initiatives. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Incline 
Academy in Incline Village, Nevada, and has been responsible for 
raising over $1 million to benefit the school.
  While the Beach Boys are known and loved for their musical 
accomplishments, the men and women whose lives the group has touched 
are perhaps The Beach Boys' greatest legacy. As Winston Churchill said, 
``What is the use of living if it be not to strive for noble causes and 
to make this muddled world a better place for those who will have it 
after we are gone?''
  I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the accomplishments 
of The Beach Boys and wishing them continued success in their future 
musical and personal journeys.

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