2004
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January |
Brian and family take part in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day. Brian plays the Edmonton, Alberta Chamber Of Commerce Ball on the 30th, three days after playing a benefit lunch for former Zombie Paul Atkinson at the LA House Of Blues. Melinda & Brian adopt a third child, son Dylan Douglas (born January 24th), at age one week. |
February |
Brian starts his UK Smile tour with a six night residency at the Royal Festival Hall (20/21/22/24/26/27). The reviews are uniformly outstanding. The touring Beach Boys make a short (two show) visit to Australia & New Zealand. |
March |
Brian plays six further UK dates: Bournemouth (1), Bristol (2), Glasgow (4), Newcastle (6), Liverpool (7) and Birmingham (8). The tour is completed by shows in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and France. |
May |
Reformed Wilson Phillips release California (originally Pacific Coast Highway), an album of covers: Brian guests on "In My Room". On the 11th, Brian is recognised by BMI as an icon of popular music: he is the first person to recieve both this, and the president's award. Adrian Baker leaves the touring band: he has been a member, on and off, since 1981. Sounds Of Summer is certified as a platinum album on the 6th. |
June |
The touring Beach Boys visit Europe. Brian's third studio album, Getting In Over My Head, is released. It charts at #100 in the US, #53 in the UK. In both charts it falls out after a single week. |
July |
Promoting his new solo album, Brian returns to Europe, playing two shows in Holland and nine in England from the 13th to the 28th. Earlier in the month, the touring Beach Boys wrap up their European tour. |
August |
Brian winds up his European tour with shows in Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Spain. On the 6th, the State of California Historic Resources Commission approve the nomination, presented by fan Harry Jarnagen, for placing a historic landmark marker at the site of the now-demolished Hawthorne house. |
September |
On the 10th, Bruce unexpectedly undergoes heart bypass surgery and temporarily withdraws from touring to recuperate.Wendy's and Dan's second child, Beau is born on the 24th. Brian Wilson Presents Smile, a studio recording of the critically acclaimed live presentation, is released on the Nonsuch label on the 28th (27th in the UK): in the UK it charts at #7, in the US at #13. Brian embarks on his first major US tour since summer 2001, a 23-date swing commencing 9/30 and wrapping 11/4. In the UK a single from the album, "Wonderful/Wind Chimes", is released and, despite being a limited vinyl pressing of only 5000, charts at #29. |
October | For the first year since 1998, there is no Carl Wilson Foundation event. |
November |
The touring Beach Boys visit Great Britain, playing fourteen shows from the 6th to the 20th. The shows last some 2½ hours and feature over 50 songs, including many rarities. Brian plays São Paulo in Brazil on the 7th, then commences his antipodean tour in Sydney on the 30th. Terry Melcher, Bruce's long-time collaborator and friend, and the last Beach Boys producer, dies on the 19th of skin cancer. He was 62. |
December |
Brian's tour continues with several more dates in Australia before wrapping with three New Zealand shows. "Good Vibrations" (from Brian Wilson Presents Smile) is released as a single in the UK and charts at #30. Brian appears in a Duck Dodgers episode as himself, and singing a new song, "Believe In Yourself". |