Al Jardine was born in Lima, Ohio, but spent his teens in Hawthorne, Calif. He met Brian Wilson when they were on the Hawthorne High School football team. They shared an interest in music, and when Brian decided to form a pop vocal group with his younger brothers, Dennis and Carl, in 1961, he invited Jardine to join them. The result was the Beach Boys — with the Wilsons’ cousin, Mike Love, on lead vocals; guitarist David Marks in the early years; and Bruce Johnston who joined them in 1965 — one of the biggest American groups of the rock era.
The Beach Boys had a string of Billboard Top 10 singles from 1963 onward; Jardine famously sang lead on one of the biggest, “Help Me, Rhonda,” in 1965.
Jardine left the group in 1998 for a successful solo career but returned for several Beach Boys reunions. He enlisted all of the members, and several other stars, as guests on his first solo album, “A Postcard From California,” in 2010. (A reissue was released in 2012.)
Jardine, 79, brings that history to the Hawaii Theatre Center on March 24. Tickets are $49 to $69. Visit hawaiitheatre.com or call 808-528-0506.
He spoke recently from his home in Big Sur, Calif.
In June of this year, it will be 60 years since the Beach Boys’ first single for Capitol Records, “Surfing U.S.A.,” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Does it seem that long to you?
It seems like yesterday. At that first recording session in 1961, I didn’t know that it would evolve to the extent that it did. Brian’s musical growth was exponential. We just kept growing in all kinds of directions.
Did you have a Plan B in the early days?
My pre-med dental curriculum was my backup, and I was away (doing that) for a little while.
When did you decide that you didn’t need a Plan B?
It was never a conscious decision. It was always one album at a time. After I came back into the band, Brian could stay at home and could concentrate on writing music. I didn’t know how long it was going to go on, but the music was pretty powerful, even early on. So it was pretty much safe to say that we were going to be OK, and we could do this for a while. I never contemplated going back to be a dentist. With Brian, it was a musical friendship that just kept getting better and better and better — and more successful.
There have been Beach Boys reunions, and sometimes you work with Brian and his band, but Hawaii is getting the undiluted Al Jardine — some Beach Boys hits, some of your originals and maybe some of your favorite oldies. Who are you bringing with you?
My son, Matt (Jardine), and our keyboardist, Debbie Shair. She was a keyboardist for Heart for 10 years, and her husband is the musical director for the Brian Wilson Band. That’s how we met. She’s quite an accomplished musician, and she fills out the trio. It’s a wonderful little group. I like to call it unplugged, but of course, it isn’t unplugged. We plug in, but it’s more acoustical. It’s just amped up a little. We have fun doing it.
When does the new reissue of “A Postcard From California” come out?
It’s coming out Aug. 12 through UMG (Universal Music Group). It didn’t have good distribution (the earlier times), and didn’t ever get to the general public. So I consider this the official release. My sons were like the glue. And then all these other artists who have their own careers were gracious enough to add their particular personality to it — Glen Campbell is amazing, and America’s work on the ballads is just super. I’m glad we’re getting another crack at the distribution level.
On your website you quote Brian telling would-be songwriters, “Finish your songs.” What advice do you have for songwriters?
My advice is “Start your songs.” Brian has songs spilling out of him constantly so it’s just impossible to finish them all, but most of us can’t get one out of our heads. To start a song, you have to be inspired to do it. Something has to inspire you, and hopefully you’re literate enough to write it down. But there’s no really easy way to teach it. Everybody’s got their own level.
