Celebrity Genealogy      Research - My Family Ancestry

Discovering My Family Connection to The Beach Boys

I honestly can’t remember a time when The Beach Boys’ music wasn’t a part of my life. My parents played their songs on our Sunday drives, spinning them on a trusty old 8-track tape. As a teenager, I eagerly bought their records and listened to them on cassette tapes once I got my driver’s license and my own car. Their music captured my imagination, creating a world filled with sun, beaches, fast cars, and endless summer days—the way I still picture California today.

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A Surprising Family Discovery

Imagine my shock when, while researching my paternal family lineage, I discovered that I’m related to Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson. At first, I thought it was a strange coincidence, but it wasn’t—the famous Wilson brothers of The Beach Boys are actually my distant cousins. Later, I found out that Mike Love is also a cousin. That makes four of the five original Beach Boys my family, with only Al Jardine as the non-cousin. Not bad for a family reunion that never happened!

The connection comes through their father, Murry Gage Wilson, who is my 21st cousin. Mike Love shares the same familial distance through his mother, Emily Glee Wilson, who married Milton Edward Love. It’s a small world—especially when it comes to family and music.

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The Start of a Musical Discovery Tour

Finding out that most of The Beach Boys are family was just the beginning of what I now call my “musical discovery tour.” My research has uncovered more musicians in the family tree, each with their own fascinating stories. But those tales deserve their own spotlight, and I plan to share them later.

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The Legacy of The Beach Boys

The story of The Beach Boys is well known, and much has been written about their evolution over the last five decades. Sadly, Dennis and Carl Wilson have passed, but the band continues today with new members, carrying on the iconic California sound and the promise of good times.

Although I’ve never met Brian Wilson or Mike Love in person—and likely never will—their music will always hold a special place in my heart. The Beach Boys had an uncanny ability to capture dreams and bring them to life through song. Their music has brightened countless days, promising a land of sun, sand, fast cars, beautiful women, and endless summer fun. That promise remains as captivating today as it was when their songs first hit the airwaves.

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Thank you to my cousins—and to Al Jardine—for giving us all an “Endless Summer.”