The Beach Boys live performances

1960s–1970s

By the end of 1964, the stress of road travel, composing, producing and maintaining a high level of creativity became too much for Brian. On December 23, while on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston, he suffered a panic attack only hours after performing with the Beach Boys on the musical variety series Shindig!.^[4] In January 1965, he announced his withdrawal from touring to concentrate entirely on songwriting and record production. For the rest of 1964 and into 1965, Glen Campbell served as Wilson's temporary replacement in concert, until his own career success pulled him from the group in April 1965.^[5] Bruce Johnston was asked to locate a replacement for Campbell; having failed to find one, Johnston himself became a full-time member of the band on May 19, 1965, first replacing Brian on the road and later contributing in the studio, beginning with the vocal sessions for "California Girls" on June 4, 1965.^[6][7]

Carl subsequently became the musical director of the band onstage; contracts at that time stipulated that promoters hire "Carl Wilson plus four other musicians".^[8] Throughout 1965, Brian still performed live with the Beach Boys, but only on justified occasions.^[7] Shortly after completing the recording of the imminent Smiley Smile (1967), the band scheduled two performances in Hawaii for a prospective live album, Lei'd in Hawaii, that would be released on their new record label, Brother Records. Difficulties arose around this time. Johnston refused to travel for the reason that "it had all got too weird."^[9] To alleviate this, Brian was persuaded into making the trip. Ultimately, the band performed too poorly for the material to be released, and the recording allegedly suffered technical problems that could not be fixed in the studio.^[10] Brian would not go on another tour with the group until 1976, as part of the "Brian's Back!" campaign.

In late 1967, the group toured for the first time with outside musicians adding to the lineup of two guitars, bass, drums, and the occasional organ accompaniment: keyboardist Daryl Dragon and bassist Ron Brown. They eventually replaced Ron Brown with bassist/guitarist Ed Carter, also adding a percussionist.^[11] For a tour of Europe in late 1968, the band used a horn section. The touring band expanded during the late 1960s and early 1970s, with multiple percussionists, including Mike Kowalski, and keyboardists, including Billy Hinsche and Carli Munoz, rotated through the touring band at this time.

In 1972, the group added two official members for the first time since Johnston's arrival in 1965: guitarist Blondie Chaplin and drummer Ricky Fataar. Chaplin departed in late 1973, with his role as bassist on the road taken by James Guercio, who was also the manager for the band Chicago.

In 1976, Brian returned to the touring group as a keyboardist to promote the Brian's Back 'campaign' and the album 15 Big Ones and to serve as the treatment for part of his first term of service under Eugene Landy. For much of 1978, Brian served mostly as the band's bassist on the road, with then-bassist Ed Carter shifting to guitar.

1980s–1990s

In May 1979, Dennis was suspended from the touring band and only made four appearances until the 1980 tour of Europe, with percussionist Bobby Figueroa moving to drums in his absence. From mid-1979 until spring 1981, the band themselves provided the majority of the instrumentation in their concerts, only augmented by keyboardist Mike Meros, Figueroa, and Carter. The band was joined by bassist/vocalist Joe Chemay for a tour of Europe in 1980, during which Carter played guitar for the entire set.^[12]

In 1981, Carl quit the live group because of unhappiness with the band's nostalgia format and lackluster live performances, subsequently pursuing a solo career.^[13] He returned in May 1982 – after approximately 14 months of being away – on the condition that the group reconsider their rehearsal and touring policies and refrain from "Las Vegas-type" engagements.^[14] His place on guitar on the road was taken by longtime touring bassist/guitarist Ed Carter. Simultaneously, Adrian Baker joined as a touring vocalist and rhythm guitarist, to handle many of Brian's former vocals, especially his famous falsetto vocals. Carter's role as bassist was taken by Ernie Knapp. Carter left the touring band in late 1981 after suffering a hernia, with his place on lead guitar being taken by Jeff Foskett. When Carl had returned in May 1982, he overhauled the touring band, firing Knapp and rehiring Hinsche and Carter, among other personnel moves.^[11][15] Baker departed later that year, with Foskett taking his falsetto vocals.

In late 1982, Brian departed from the touring band to undergo a second term of care under Eugene Landy, making semi-regular appearances through 1990. Dennis died in December 1983, with his role as road drummer taken by touring percussionist Mike Kowalski. Jardine's son Matt joined the touring band in 1988 as a percussionist, with Figueroa leaving by that summer.^[16] In 1990, Foskett left the band, with Baker returning. By 1992, Matt Jardine replaced Baker as the falsetto vocalist. By 1996, Carter and Hinsche were replaced by bassist Chris Farmer and keyboardist Tim Bonhomme.^[15]

In 1997, Phil Bardowell joined as a rhythm guitarist.^[16] Also in 1997, Carl was diagnosed with cancer;^[16] he performed for several months while his condition started to deteriorate. Bardowell briefly moved to lead guitar before former guitarist David Marks rejoined the band and took Carl's spot on the road, while Farmer took Carl's role as musical director. Love, Johnston, Marks, Glen Campbell, Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean, and John Stamos (who had been a semi-regular guest in the touring band since the 1980s and continues to do so) performed at a pre-show for the 1998 Super Bowl, as "A Tribute to The Beach Boys" featuring the aforementioned members. Carl Wilson died on February 6, 1998.

2000s

After Carl died in 1998, the remaining members splintered. Following one final performance on May 9 as a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society in Detroit, Love, Johnston, and Marks continued to tour together, initially as "America's Band", but following several cancelled bookings under that name, Love sought authorization through Brother Records Inc. (BRI) to tour as "The Beach Boys" and secured the necessary license. Since 1999, Love is obligated to continue touring in order to maintain revenue flow to BRI. At the time, Wilson was also offered the license, but declined.^[17]

Jardine fought for the right to tour under the moniker "The Beach Boys Family & Friends" but was denied from using the name in any promotional or band name manner. During this time, Jardine's group included his sons Matt and Adam, Brian Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Cass Elliot's daughter Owen, former touring bassist Ed Carter, former touring percussionist/drummer Bobby Figueroa. Jardine's group briefly included Daryl Dragon, who had formerly toured and recorded with The Beach Boys. Jardine formed a later group, also featuring former Beach Boys touring members, called the Endless Summer Band, one of the few names he was allowed to use as a result of the 1998-1999 lawsuits.

During the legal struggle, Matt Jardine left Love and Johnston's "The Beach Boys" touring group and was replaced by a returning Adrian Baker. Marks left the group in July 1999 because of his health, with Bardowell moving back to lead guitar in Marks' absence. In July 2001, longtime keyboardist Mike Meros was fired and replaced by John Cowsill, drummer for the 1960s family band The Cowsills.^[12][18] At the same time, Bardowell left the touring band and was replaced by Scott Totten.^[12] In 2004, Baker was replaced by former Papa Doo Run Run member Randall Kirsch. Love's son Christian joined as a second rhythm guitarist in 2006. Longtime drummer Mike Kowaski was fired in 2007, with Cowsill moving to drums in his absence. Chris Farmer was fired in 2007, with Kirsch moving to bass and Totten taking his role as musical director.

In 2008, Marks toured with the group briefly for a tour of Europe. Otherwise, the lineup remained until 2012.^[16]

2010s

Al Jardine appeared at two one-off shows in February 2011 and early 2012 as a test for a possible future reunion. At the end of 2012, Wilson, Love, Jardine, Marks, and Johnston reunited for a new album and tour, using various members from Wilson's band, including former Beach Boys touring vocalist/guitarist Jeff Foskett, plus Totten and Cowsill from Love and Johnston's touring band. However, Love took the option to end the tour later in the year, and continued touring with Johnston and his pre-reunion touring band. Jardine and Marks ultimately appeared with Wilson's band in 2013, with Jardine remaining into 2014.

Jardine and Marks appeared at a one-off show in 2014, the Ella Awards where Love was honored as a singer. Love and Johnston's touring band was joined by Marks for several dates in 2014 and 2015, including a show in Jones Beach, CA on July 5, 2014, where promoters had asked Jardine to appear. Ultimately, this plan fell through, with Jardine continuing to join Wilson, with whom he has toured since 2013. Foskett rejoined the touring band, with Love's son departing at the same time.^[19] Shortly afterward, Kirsch was replaced by former Four Freshmen vocalist Brian Eichenberger. In 2016, saxophonist/flutist Randy Leago was added, marking the first time since 1978, with the exception of the 2012 reunion tour, that the touring band included a woodwind player. Eichenberger left the touring band in 2018; Kirsch was a substitute before Eichenberger was replaced by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons bassist Keith Hubacher.

Timeline