The Beach Boys Historic Landmark is a memorial which commemorates the site of the childhood home of

Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...

, Dennis, and Carl Wilson of

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

. The monument, located at 3701 W. 119th Street,

Hawthorne, California Hawthorne is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is part of a seventeen-city region commonly called the South Bay. As of the 2020 US census, Hawthorne had a population of 88, ...

, stands on the former location of the Wilsons' house, which was demolished in the mid-1980s during construction of the

Century Freeway A century is a period of 100 year A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, ...

. Music industry notables such as

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...

and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were among the letter-writers who supported the BBHL's landmark application process. Its status as a California State Historic Landmark, No. 1041 Site of the Childhood Home of the Beach Boys, was granted by the California State Historic Resources Commission in a unanimous vote on August 6, 2004, in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...

, and the monument was dedicated on May 20, 2005. The image face of the landmark was inspired by the album cover of '' Surfer Girl.'' The lineup of the Beach Boys at that time was Brian, Carl, and Dennis; their cousin

Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bas ...

; and

David Marks David Lee Marks (born August 22, 1948) is an American guitarist who is best known for being an early member of the Beach Boys. While growing up in Hawthorne, California, Marks was a neighborhood friend of the original band members and was a freq ...

(who grew up in a house across the street from the Wilson home.)

Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as " Help Me, Rh ...

, the group's original bassist, would later rejoin the band soon before David's departure. Six gold 45 records are embedded in the base of the landmark, each with the name of one of the Beach Boys; the three Wilson brothers to the left, and Love, Marks and Jardine to the right. The names of donors, Wilson friends and family members, and the Beach Boys Landmark Committee are engraved into the monument bricks. The construction work was undertaken by Scott Wilson, Dennis's adopted son. The landmark plaque reads:

It was here at the childhood home of Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson developed their unique musical skills. During Labor Day weekend 1961, they, their cousin Mike Love, and a friend Al Jardine, gathered here to record a tape of their breakthrough song “Surfin’.” This marked the birth of the rock group known worldwide as the Beach Boys, and the beginning of a historic musical legacy. The music of the Beach Boys broadcast to the world an image of California as a place of sun, surf, and romance.

Less than a month after the unveiling of the landmark, it was targeted by graffiti vandals.

References

External links

*MySpace page for the monument, with a number of photos of the 2005 dedication ceremony: http://www.myspace.com/beachboyshistoriclandmark {{LosAngeles-struct-stub The Beach Boys California Historical Landmarks Hawthorne, California