The Band of Heaven

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Phil had a liver transplant in 1998 which saved his live, and he thanked his donor, Cody, at every show that he performed at ever since.

Thank you, Cody!

[RoseMorninStar]

It served him well.

[Frelga]

Could I have seen a member of the Grateful Dead do amazing things on the piano at a charity concert in 2010s? I thought it may have been Lesh, but I can find no mention of him playing the piano.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

One of the greatest has passed. Rest in power, Zakir.

Zakir Hussain, legendary tabla virtuoso who defied genres, dies at 73

His skill was mindbending.

[Inanna]

Oh no!! He was coming to nyc in 2025, and I was pondering going.

This is so sad.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Did you ever get to see him perform, Inanna?

In addition to being an astounding musician, he seemed to me from the few times that I met him to be an absolutely lovely, humble human being. He will be greatly missed.

[Sunsilver]

And the surviving members of the Grateful Dead have received Kennedy Center Honours!

https://www.whattowatch.com/news/kenned ... ght-on-cbs

The three living core members (Weir, Hart and Kreutzmann) received the award.As he was named a recipient prior to his death, Lesh received the award posthumously.

An e-friend who plays classical music reports, after watching the ceremony, that apparently both President Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are Deadheads! Wow - who knew??

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'm watching the Kennedy Center honors right now. Wonderful tributes for the great Bonnie Raitt and Arturo Sandoval and currently the Apollo Theater. Then Francis Ford Coppala and the Dead will be last. Guess I'm staying up late tonight.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I can't say that i was ever a huge fan of the Beach Boys, but it is undeniable that Brian Wilson had an outsized influence on popular music.

Brian Wilson, influential pop pioneer and Beach Boys founding member, dies at 82

[N.E. Brigand]

And just two days after this news:

"Sly Stone, Family Stone Architect Who Fused Funk, Rock, and Soul, Dead at 82. Wildly inventive musician and singer uplifted crowds but faced personal demons later on."

[N.E. Brigand]

I can't say that i was ever a huge fan of the Beach Boys, but it is undeniable that Brian Wilson had an outsized influence on popular music.
Brian Wilson, influential pop pioneer and Beach Boys founding member, dies at 82

This scene from the 1989 documentary Roger & Me is usually the first thing I think of when the Beach Boys are mentioned:

[Voronwë the Faithful]

And just two days after this news:

"Sly Stone, Family Stone Architect Who Fused Funk, Rock, and Soul, Dead at 82. Wildly inventive musician and singer uplifted crowds but faced personal demons later on."

Thanks for posting that, as I had meant to do so and got sidetracked. He was hugely important.

[RoseMorninStar]

Both bands were a big part of my childhood/youth.

[Sunsilver]

I am a huge fan of the Beach Boys.

Any musical group that can sing good harmonies really catches my ear, and the Beach Boys were one of the best. The first album I ever got (as a Christmas gift from my parents) was the Beach Boys All Summer Long. I learned to dance in a friend's basement to a Beach Boys album. Not only do I love their music, it has a really big nostalgia factor for me. Brian was an amazing musician with a wonderful ear for harmonies that went way beyond what most groups were capable of. It's a shame that his mental health problems affected his career so badly.

Here's what Carol Kaye, the Wrecking Crew's bass guitarist had to say. She was particularity close friends with Brian, and did the signature bass lines on hits like Good Vibrations and California Girls.

A GENIUS has just left us.....God Bless You Brian! Always grateful for spending time working for you in the Studios especially...it was wonderful to see you regain your authorship of being a fine Producer, Writer of the Music we Recorded for you....and seeing the genius unroll each time we did those recordings...."Brian, did you really want me to play that maj7th in the bass notes like you wrote?" "Yes Carol!" "OK then".....and it worked!

Others wrote simply Do-Mi-So lines Brian heard it differently (thx to his love of listening to the Four Freshmen, a popular jazz musician-singing group) and overdubbed the Beach Boys voices sooo well on top of his fantastic arrangements. Leading the charge for the 1960s hits!

[N.E. Brigand]

I can't say that i was ever a huge fan of the Beach Boys, but it is undeniable that Brian Wilson had an outsized influence on popular music.

Bob Dylan tweeted this: "Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian."

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Nice!

[Alatar]

I loved this movie. I can't speak to its accuracy, but it was gripping.

[Sunsilver]

This is an excellent one hour documentary of the group:
Edit: okay I just found out something that made my jaw drop. Since childhood, Brian Wilson was completely deaf in his right ear! That makes his accomplishments all the more amazing, and probably explains why some people are referring to him as our generation's Beethoven.