Beach Boys’ Al Jardine Recalls Last Words He Shared with Brian Wilson

As Brian Wilson’s friends and family mourn the loss of the musician, many are also recalling their fondest memories of the Beach Boys co-founder. John Stamos, who admitted he “grew up worshipping The Beach Boys,” ended up not only playing with them as an adult but also becoming friends with Wilson. “So much of my life and career, so much of me, exists because of what Brian created,” he wrote on Instagram.

The Beach Boys co-founder, Al Jardine, posted his own poignant tribute to his longtime friend and former bandmate. “Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate, and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were,” he wrote on Instagram.

Jardine believes that the love Wilson was surrounded by helped him find peace in his later years. He’s also recalling the last time he saw him, and what Wilson said to him that made him think of how it all began.

Their Final Conversation Reminded Him of the Beginning

Jardine told People that he and his wife, Mary Ann, decided to stop by and visit Wilson on their way to Carmel, California, about a month before he died. “The first thing he did is he looked at me, right in my eyes. He said, ‘You started the band,’” Jardine said. “I said, Okay, well Brian, thank you, but you had a little bit to do with it too.’”

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Jardine knew Wilson from their days at El Camino Junior College. On their way to class one day, Jardine said to him, “‘Brian, we’ve got to start a band together,'” he recalled. “And we searched desperately for people to be in our band, but no one on campus could quite cut it. So he said, ‘You know what? My little brother Carl plays a guitar, and my older cousin has a really great baritone. Come over to my place and I’ll introduce you.’ And that’s how it started.”

Brian Wilson Was ‘Content’ Before His Death, Says Jardine

After his mental health struggles forced him to stop touring in the mid-60s, Wilson focused on writing songs and producing music. While he was with The Beach Boys off and on for much of his life, he also earned great acclaim for his solo work. He and Jardine, though they grew distant for a time, never lost touch.

Jardine recalled that every few months, he’d stop in to see Wilson. Occasionally, he’d bring the Brian Wilson Band along. “The band would get together and sing for him,” Jardine said. “He wouldn’t participate, but the idea was to keep him involved.”

When Jardine found out that Wilson had passed away, he admitted to being surprised. “He was having difficulties, but he seemed to be recovering from it,” he lamented. “So [his death] has been quite a shock.”

Despite his untimely death, Jardine is insistent that Wilson was “content” in his later years. He also believes his contribution to the musical world won’t be underestimated. “Anyone who came in contact with Brian was highly influenced by him,” he said. “Because he took the same notes that everybody else has and made a new musical language out of them.”