Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded
the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates
Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...
and
Dennis
Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius.
The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...
, and the group's ''
de facto'' leader in the early to mid-1970s. He was also the band's musical director on stage from 1965 until his death.
Influenced by the guitar playing of
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...
and
the Ventures
The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...
,
Wilson's initial role in the group was that of lead guitarist and backing singer, but he performed lead vocals on several of their later hits, including "
God Only Knows" (1966), "
Good Vibrations" (1966), "
I Can Hear Music" (1969), and "
Kokomo" (1988). Unlike other members of the band, he often played alongside the
studio musicians employed during the group's critical and commercial peak in the mid-1960s. After Brian's reduced involvement with the group, Carl produced the bulk of their albums between ''
20/20'' (1969) and ''
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
'' (1973). Concurrently, he spent several years challenging his
draft status as a
conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...
.
During the 1980s, Wilson attempted to launch a solo career, releasing the albums ''
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
'' (1981) and ''
Youngblood'' (1983). In the 1990s, he recorded material with
Gerry Beckley and
Robert Lamm, later released for the posthumous album ''
Like a Brother'' (2000). He was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of the Beach Boys in 1988. Wilson was also a member of the
Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, a
religious corporation. He died on February 6, 1998, at the age of 51, of
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
.
Biography
Early years and success
Carl Dean Wilson was born the youngest of the three Wilson boys in
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is part of a seventeen-city subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area commonly known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay. As of the 2020 United States cens ...
, the youngest son of Audree Neva (née Korthof) and
Murry Gage Wilson. As young children, he and his brothers suffered frequent verbal and physical abuse at the hands of their father. From his pre-teens he practiced harmony vocals under the guidance of his brother Brian, who often sang in the family music room with his mother and brothers. Inspired by country star
Spade Cooley, at the age of 12, Carl asked his parents to buy him a guitar, for which he took some lessons.
In 1982, Carl remembered from this time: "The kid across the street,
David Marks, was taking guitar lessons from
John Maus, so I started, too. David and I were about 12 and John was only three years older, but we thought he was a shit-hot guitarist. John and his sister Judy did fraternity gigs together as a duo. Later John moved to England and became one of
the Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers were an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1964 by John Walker (musician), John Walker (real name John Maus) and Scott Walker (singer), Scott Walker (real name Noel Scott Engel), with Gary Walker (musician), Gary Wal ...
. ... He showed me some fingerpicking techniques and strumming stuff that I still use. When I play a solo, he's still there."
While Brian perfected the band's vocal style and keyboard base, Carl's
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...
-esque guitar became an early Beach Boys trademark. While in high school, Carl also studied saxophone.
[
Turning 15 as the group's first hit, " Surfin'", broke locally in Los Angeles, Carl's father and manager, Murry (who had sold his business to support his sons' band), bought him a Fender Jaguar guitar. Carl developed as a musician and singer through the band's early recordings, and the early "surf lick" sound heard in " Fun, Fun, Fun" was recorded in 1964 when Carl was 17. Also in 1964, Carl contributed his first co-writing credit on a Beach Boys single with the guitar riff and solo in " Dance, Dance, Dance" co-written with Mike Love and Brian Wilson. By the end of 1964, he was diversifying, favoring the 12-string Rickenbacker that was also notably used by ]Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn (; born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the band. As a so ...
in establishing the sound of the Byrds
The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...
and by George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
of The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
during this era. Dave Marsh, in ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll'' (1976), stated that Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, keyboardist, second lead vocalist, principal songwriter and leader of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s an ...
of The Who
The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
expanded on both R&B and rock "influenced heavily by Beach Boy Carl Wilson".
Carl's lead vocals in the band's first three years were infrequent. Although all members of the band played on their early recordings, Brian began to employ experienced session musician
A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
s to play on the group's instrumental tracks by 1965 to assist with the complex material, but the band was not eliminated from recording the instrumental tracks and still continued to play on certain songs on each album. Unlike the other members of the band, Carl often played alongside session musicians and also recorded his individual guitar leads during the Beach Boys' vocal sessions, with his guitar plugged directly into the soundboard. His playing can be heard on the introduction to " California Girls", throughout the 1965 album '' The Beach Boys Today!'' and on " That's Not Me" from ''Pet Sounds
''Pet Sounds'' is the eleventh studio album by the American Rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was produced, arranged, and primarily composed by Brian Wilson with guest lyricist Tony Asher. R ...
''.
After Brian's retirement from touring in 1965, Carl became the musical director of the band onstage.[ Contracts at that time stipulated that promoters hire "Carl Wilson plus four other musicians". Following his lead vocal performance on " God Only Knows" in 1966, Carl was increasingly lead vocalist for the band, a role previously dominated by ]Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
and Brian. He sang leads on the singles " Good Vibrations", " Darlin'", and " Wild Honey".[ Starting with the album '' Wild Honey'', Brian requested that Carl become more involved in the Beach Boys' records.
]
1970s
In 1969, the Beach Boys' rendition of " I Can Hear Music" was the first track produced solely by Carl Wilson. By then, he had effectively become the band's in-studio leader, producing the bulk of the albums during the early 1970s.[ Though Carl had written surf instrumentals for the band in the early days,][ he did not hit his stride as a songwriter until the 1971 album '' Surf's Up'', for which he composed " Long Promised Road" and " Feel Flows", with lyrics by the band's then-manager Jack Rieley. Carl considered "Long Promised Road" his first real song. After producing the majority of '' Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"'' (1972) and '']Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
'' (1973),[ Carl's leadership role diminished somewhat, due to Brian's brief public reemergence and because of Carl's own substance abuse problems.
For '' L.A. (Light Album)'' (1979), Carl contributed four songs, among them " Good Timin'", co-written with Brian five years earlier, which became a Top 40 American hit. Carl's main writing partner in the late 1970s was Geoffrey Cushing-Murray, but for '' Keepin' the Summer Alive'' (1980) he wrote with ]Randy Bachman
Randolph Charles Bachman ( ; born September 27, 1943) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. He was the writer and singer of several hit rock songs, ...
of the band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Carl told Michael Feeney Callan, writer-director of the RTÉ
(; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
1993 documentary ''The Beach Boys Today'' (a celebration of the Beach Boys' 30th anniversary), that Bachman was his favorite writing partner, accordingly: "Basically because he rocked, and I love to rock".
As a producer and vocalist, Carl's work was not confined to the Beach Boys. During the 1970s, he also produced records for other artists, such as Ricci Martin (son of Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
) and South African group the Flames, two members of which later temporarily joined the Beach Boys' line-up. He lent backing vocals to many works, including Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
's hits " Baby, What a Big Surprise" and " Wishing You Were Here" (with Al Jardine and brother Dennis), Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
's " Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
), David Lee Roth's hit cover of " California Girls", Warren Zevon's " Desperados Under the Eaves", and the Carnie/Wendy Wilson holiday track " Hey Santa!" Carl also recorded a duet with Olivia Newton-John, titled "You Were Great, How Was I?", for her studio album, " Soul Kiss" (1985). It was not released as a single.
Carl befriended and gave guitar lessons to Alex Chilton
William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950March 17, 2010) was an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock bands the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops ...
when The Box Tops toured with the Beach Boys.
Solo career
By the early 1980s, the Beach Boys were in disarray; the band had split into camps. Frustrated with the band's sluggishness to record new material and reluctance to rehearse, Wilson took a leave of absence in 1981. He quickly recorded and released a solo album, ''Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
'', composed largely of rock n' roll songs co-written with Myrna Smith-Schilling, a former backing vocalist for Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
, and wife of Wilson's then-manager Jerry Schilling. The album briefly charted, and its second single, "Heaven", reached the top 20 on ''Billboard''s Adult Contemporary chart. Wilson also undertook a solo tour to promote the album, becoming the first member of the Beach Boys to break ranks. Initially, Wilson and his band played clubs like The Bottom Line in New York City and the Roxy in Los Angeles. Thereafter, he joined the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock music, rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their Vocal harmony, vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five d ...
as the opening act for their 1981 summer tour.
Wilson recorded a second solo album, '' Youngblood'', in a similar vein, but by the time of its release in 1983 he had rejoined the Beach Boys. Although ''Youngblood'' did not chart, a single, the John Hall-penned "What You Do To Me", peaked at number 72, making Wilson the second Beach Boy to land a solo single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Additionally, the song cracked the top 20 on ''Billboard''s Adult Contemporary chart. Wilson frequently performed that song and "Rockin' All Over the World" (from the same album), as well as "Heaven" from the 1981 album, at Beach Boys' concerts in the 1980s. "Heaven" was always announced as a tribute to brother Dennis
Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius.
The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...
, who drowned in December 1983.
Later years
The Beach Boys' 1985 eponymous album prominently featured Wilson's lead vocals and songwriting, highlighted by his "It's Gettin' Late" (another top 20 Adult Contemporary hit) and the "Heaven"-like "Where I Belong".
In 1988, the Beach Boys scored their biggest chart success in more than 20 years with the US Number 1 song " Kokomo", co-written by Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
, John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, and Terry Melcher, on which Carl sang lead in the chorus. After this, Love increasingly dominated the band's recorded output and became the driving force behind the album '' Summer in Paradise'' (1992), the first and only Beach Boys album with no input from Brian in any form. In 1992, Carl told Michael Feeney Callan his hope was to record new material by Brian. "Speaking for myself", he told Callan, "I only want to record inspired music".
Carl continued recording through the 1990s and participated in the Don Was-led recordings of Brian's "Soul Searchin and "You're Still a Mystery", songs conceived as the basis of a canceled Brian Wilson/Beach Boys album. He also recorded the album '' Like a Brother'' with Robert Lamm and Gerry Beckley, while continuing to tour with the Beach Boys until the last months of his life.
Death
Wilson became ill at his vacation home in Hawaii in early 1997. He was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
, and was started on chemotherapy. He had been smoking cigarettes since his early teens. Despite his illness and treatments, he continued to play and sing with the Beach Boys throughout their entire summer tour until its completion in the autumn of 1997.
Wilson died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, on February 6, 1998. His death occurred just two months after the death of his mother, Audree Wilson. He was interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary is a cemetery and Morgue, mortuary located in the Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood area of Los Angeles. It includes a crematory for cremation services. Its location is at 1218 Glendon Av ...
in Los Angeles.
Posthumous releases
The Beckley–Lamm–Wilson album, '' Like a Brother'', was finally released in 2000, and Carl's late recordings continue to appear. Brian's album '' Gettin' in Over My Head'' (2004) features Carl's vocal from the unreleased Beach Boys song "Soul Searchin'", with new backing vocals recorded by Brian. The original Beach Boys version, sourced from a canceled attempt at a new Beach Boys album in late 1995, was eventually released in the '' Made in California'' (2013) box set, along with another 1995 track titled "You're Still a Mystery", which features Carl in the vocal blend. In 2010, bandmate Al Jardine released his first solo album, '' A Postcard From California'', which includes a similarly reconstructed track, " Don't Fight The Sea". Carl can also be heard on the continual stream of Beach Boys archival releases, most notably as a central voice in the November 2011 release of '' The Smile Sessions''.
It was announced that Wilson's voice would be heard on a track from the reunited Beach Boys, on the album '' That's Why God Made the Radio'' (2012), but this never materialized. Instead, the scheduled song, "Waves of Love", featured on the 2012 re-release of Jardine's ''A Postcard from California''. It features one of the last vocals Carl recorded before his death. During The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour, a segment of the show was dedicated to the memories of Dennis and Carl. The band harmonized with isolated vocal tracks of Carl performing "God Only Knows" and of Dennis singing "Forever", as the band's crew projected images of the individual Wilson brothers on a large screen behind the band onstage.
Equipment
Information per Jon Stebbins.
Guitars
*Kay single cutaway acoustic – with pickup added
*Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corpora ...
– Sunburst
* Fender Jaguar – Olympic white
* Rickenbacker 360/12 old style – Fireglo
*Rickenbacker 360/12 new style – Fireglo
* Fender Electric XII – Olympic white
*Guild Starfire VI
* Fender Telecaster – Natural with Bigsby Tremolo
*Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is a semi-hollow body semi-acoustic guitar introduced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its Gibson ES Series, ES (Electric Spanish) series 1958 in music, in 1958. It has a solid maple wood block running through the cente ...
Custom – Blonde with Bigsby Tremolo
*Fender Stratocaster – Olympic white
*Epiphone Riviera 12-string – Tobacco Sunburst with Gibson neck
Bass
*Hofner copy
Amplifiers
*Fender Dual Showman – blonde with Outboard Spring Reverb Unit
*Fender Dual Showman – black
* Fender Bandmaster
* Fender Bassman
* Fender Twin Reverb
Personal life and beliefs
Wilson declared himself a conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...
and refused the draft to join the American military during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. By 1988, Wilson had become an ordained minister in the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.
Wilson was married twice: first to Annie Hinsche, sister of frequent Beach Boys sideman Billy Hinsche, then in 1987 to Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
's daughter Gina (born December 20, 1956). With Annie, he had two sons. It was during the breakup of his and Annie's marriage that Carl wrote "Angel Come Home", which, according to co-writer Geoffrey Cushing-Murray, was about Wilson's grief over separating from his wife due to the Beach Boys' incessant touring. Gina accompanied him during all subsequent tours and the marriage lasted until his death.
Wilson had an Irish Setter named Shannon, whose death inspired the emotional 1976 hit song " Shannon" by Henry Gross
Henry Gross (born April 1, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his association with the group Sha Na Na and for his hit record, hit song, "Shannon (song), Shannon". Gross is considered a one-hit wonder artist; none of his ot ...
.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Songs (written or co-written)
* '' Surfin' U.S.A.'' (1963)
** "Surf Jam"
* '' Shut Down Volume 2'' (1964)
** "Shut Down, Part II"
* '' All Summer Long'' (1964)
** "Carl's Big Chance" (with Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
)
* '' The Beach Boys Today!'' (1965)
** " Dance, Dance, Dance" (with Brian, Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
)
* ''Wild Honey'' (1967)
** "How She Boogalooed It" (with Mike, Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
, Al Jardine)
* ''Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
'' (1968)
** "Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
" (with Brian, Dennis Wilson, Jardine)
** "Be Here in the Mornin'" (with Brian, Dennis, Jardine, Mike)
** "When a Man Needs a Woman" (with Brian, Dennis, Jardine, Steve Korthof, Jon Parks)
*'' 20/20'' (1969)
**"I Went to Sleep" (with Brian)
*''Sunflower
The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...
'' (1970)
** "It's About Time" (with Dennis, Jardine, Bob Burchman)
**"Our Sweet Love" (with Brian, Jardine)
*'' Surf's Up'' (1971)
**" Feel Flows" (with Jack Rieley)
**" Long Promised Road" (with Rieley)
*'' Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"'' (1972)
**" All This Is That" (with Mike, Jardine)
*''Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
'' (1973)
**"The Trader" (with Rieley)
**"Leaving This Town" (with Mike, Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin)
*'' Pacific Ocean Blue'' (1977)
**" River Song" (with Dennis)
**"Rainbows" (with Dennis, Steve Kalinich)
*'' L.A. (Light Album)'' (1979)
**" Good Timin'" (with Brian)
**"Full Sail" (with Geoffrey Cushing-Murray)
**"Angel Come Home" (with Cushing-Murray)
**"Goin' South" (with Cushing-Murray)
*'' Keepin' the Summer Alive'' (1980)
**"Keepin' the Summer Alive" (with Randy Bachman
Randolph Charles Bachman ( ; born September 27, 1943) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. He was the writer and singer of several hit rock songs, ...
)
**" Livin' with a Heartache" (with Bachman)
*''Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
'' (1981)
**"Hold Me" (with Myrna Smith)
**"Bright Lights" (with Myrna)
**"What You Gonna Do About Me?" (with Myrna)
**"The Right Lane" (with Myrna)
**"Hurry Love" (with Myrna)
**"Heaven" (with Myrna, Michael Sun)
**"The Grammy" (with Myrna)
**"Seems So Long Ago" (with Myrna)
*'' Youngblood'' (1983)
**"What More Can I Say" (with Myrna)
**"She's Mine" (with Myrna)
**"Givin' You Up" (with Myrna, Jerry Schilling)
**"Of the Times" (with Myrna Smith)
**"Too Early to Tell" (with Myrna Smith, John Daly)
**"If I Could Talk to Love" (with Myrna Smith)
**"Time" (with Myrna Smith)
*''The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
'' (1985)
**" It's Gettin' Late" (with Myrna, Robert White Johnson)
**"Maybe I Don't Know" (with Myrna, Steve Levine, Julian Stewart Lindsay)
**"Where I Belong" (with White Johnson)
*'' Lost & Found (1961–62)'' (1991)
**"Beach Boy Stomp (A.K.A. Karate)"
*'' Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys'' (1993)
**"Our Team" (with Brian, Dennis, Jardine, Mike)
*'' Like a Brother'' (2000)
**"I Wish For You" (with Robert White Johnson, Phil Galdston)
**"Run Don't Walk" (with Phil Galdston)
**"They're Only Words" (with Phil Galdston)
**"Like A Brother" (with Phil Galdston)
*'' The Smile Sessions''
**"Tune X"
*'' I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions'' (2018)
**" Sail Plane Song" (with Brian)
*'' Feel Flows (album)'' (2021)
**" Loop de Loop" (with Brian, Jardine)
*''Misc Tracks 1971'' (2021)
**"Telephone Backgrounds (On A Clear Day)"
*''1972 Release'' (2022)
**"City Jim"
*''1974 release'' (2024)
**"Happy Birthday Roger McGuinn"
*Non-album songs
**"This Is Elvis" (recorded 1980, released 2015)
References
Sources
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
Carl Wilson Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (1984)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Carl
1946 births
1998 deaths
The Beach Boys members
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
American conscientious objectors
Deaths from lung cancer in California
Record producers from California
Brian Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Musicians from Hawthorne, California
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
American lead guitarists
20th-century American musicians
Guitarists from California
American rock singers
Songwriters from California
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers
American people of Dutch descent
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Scottish descent
American people of Swedish descent
The David Lee Roth Band members
Tobacco-related deaths
Vietnam War draft evaders