1961
  January   Mike marries Frances St. Martin on the 4th.
  June   Alan returns to Los Angeles from Ferris U, and enrols at El Camino Community College,
  where he meets Brian again, and suggests they form a group. Brian offers Carl and Mike
  for inclusion. He also reforms The Islanders.
  July   Mike & Francis' first child, Melinda, is born on the 15th.
  summer   Alan & Gary Winfrey are called back by Hite Morgan.  Barrow is away at college so
  Keith Lent takes his place. They perform "Rio Grande", written by Morgan's son, Bruce.
  After the session, Brian is approached to help out.
  mid August   with Brian, Carl, Dennis & Mike, Alan re-auditions for the Morgans, performing either
  "Rio Grande" or "Sloop John B" (or possibly both); the Morgans request original
  material. Dennis (untruthfully) says that Brian & Mike have written a song about surfing.
  The two cousins then proceed to do just that.
  September   Brian & Mike sign a songwriting contract with Guild Music on the 15th.
  October   The band - now called the Pendletones - demo "Surfin'", "Luau" & "Lavender" in the
  Morgan's front room 'studio'.
November   Murry & Audree take visitors from England to Mexico. In their absence the band rent
  instruments with $300 food money left by Murry (plus a little extra from Alan's mother)
  and practice "Surfin'". Upon their return, Murry assumes managerial status. The band
  record "Surfin'", "Luau" & "Lavender" at World Pacific studios in LA. The line up is
  Brian (vocals/percussion), Carl (vocals/guitar), Dennis (vocals), Mike (vocals) and
  Alan (vocals/acoustic bass). "Surfin'/Luau" is released on Candix 331 on the 27th.
  It will later be reissued twice, first on X 301 and then on Candix 301. The band appear
  on the label as The Beach Boys, without their knowledge (the name came from a
  conversation between Russ Regan and Joe Saraceno: they nearly ended up being called
  The Surfers).
  December   the Beach Boys make their first live appearance, playing two songs during the
  intermission at a Dick Dale show at the Rendezvous Ballroom on the 23rd, and are
  poorly received. They make their fourth live appearance (commonly but erroneously
  regarded as their first) at the Richie Valens Memorial Concert, in Long Beach CA on
  New Year's Eve.