Murry Wilson

Murry Wilson
Born	July 2, 1917(1917-07-02) Hutchinson, Kansas
Died	June 4, 1973(1973-06-04) (aged 55) Whittier, California
Occupation	Machine business owner, songwriter, manager
Spouse	Audree Wilson (September 28, 1918 - December 1, 1997)
Children	Brian, Dennis and Carl

Murry Gage Wilson (July 2, 1917 – June 4, 1973) was an American musician and record producer, best remembered as the father of The Beach Boys members Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson, uncle of bandmate Mike Love, and the husband of Audree Wilson. Wilson was also the original manager of the band and served as their music publisher.

Early years

Wilson was born in Hutchinson, Kansas. His family moved west to Los Angeles when he was five. The family was initially so impoverished that they camped in a tent on the beach when they arrived. He met his future wife Audree while attending Washington High School; they were married March 26, 1938.^[1]

Wilson had a blue-collar background; as a young man, he worked at a Goodyear factory (where he lost an eye in an industrial accident), while unsuccessfully writing songs. His biggest success was with a dance song, "Two-Step Side-Step", which was featured by Lawrence Welk on his radio program in 1952 ^[1] and covered on record by RCA Victor Western Swing artist Johnnie Lee Wills, as well as country music singer Bonnie Lou. He also wrote songs recorded in the early 1950s by doo-wop group The Hollywood Flames.

As father and manager of The Beach Boys

Wilson later founded his own machining business, but maintained an active interest in music, which he passed along to his sons, encouraging them to learn to sing and play instruments, and becoming their business manager, co-producer, and publisher in the early part of their career as the Beach Boys. On the heels of the band's early success, Wilson devoted himself to music full-time, producing and managing groups, including The Sunrays in addition to the Beach Boys. Wilson also released one album of his own, The Many Moods of Murry Wilson, in 1967.

The Wilson brothers had a legendarily complicated relationship with their father. Many stories of abuse have surfaced, including a supposed incident where the elder Wilson hit Brian Wilson in the head with a 2x4, resulting in the permanent loss of hearing in his right ear.^[2]

Known as a domineering and manipulative man, Wilson was a tough negotiator on behalf of the boys, earning them a contract with Capitol Records. However, his constant obsession over every detail of the group's appearance and sound, diverging musical opinions, and lingering resentment over his often abusive behavior towards his sons soon led to estrangement. Brian Wilson relieved his father of his management responsibilities in 1964, during a rare stand against him in a recording session.

In 1964, his wife Audree left him and they separated. The marriage ended in divorce in 1966.^[3]

Later years

In 1966, Wilson began managing a band called The Sunrays, composed of five students who attended Hollywood Professional High School. The Sunrays earned some media attention and a bit of airplay for their initial singles, but they never broke in the Top 40, and the group and Wilson eventually parted company, with The Sunrays complaining that Wilson had been forcing them to become a veritable imitation of the Beach Boys, rather than letting them develop their own sound and style.^{[citation needed]}

Wilson later sold The Beach Boys' publishing company, Sea of Tunes, in 1969, against the group's wishes, and for a fraction of what it proved to be worth in later years.^{[citation needed]} Brian Wilson has also suggested that his signature was forged by his father on several related business documents, making the sale illegal ^[4]. Mike Love also claimed later that Wilson purposely left Love's name off the credits for many songs, including hits such as "California Girls" and "409" while running Sea of Tunes.^{[citation needed]}

Even after Wilson's formal business relationship with the Beach Boys ended, he continued to take an active interest in the group's career, and continued to give them advice (both solicited and unsolicited) until his death. Wilson co-wrote the single "Break Away", the last Beach Boys single of the 1960s, and was credited as "Reggie Dunbar" in the album's liner notes.

Murry Wilson died on June 4, 1973 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 55. He is buried in an unmarked grave in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Legacy

In a 2004 interview with the UK newspaper, The Independent, Brian Wilson recalled his father:

“

He was the one who got us going. He didn't make us better artists or musicians, but he gave us ambition. I'm pleased he pushed us, because it was such a relief to know there was someone as strong as my dad to keep things going. He used to spank us, and it hurt too, but I loved him because he was a great musician.

”

Murry Wilson was portrayed in two television movies: in 1990's Summer Dreams: The Story of the Beach Boys, by Arlen Dean Snyder, and in 2000's The Beach Boys: An American Family, by Kevin Dunn.

Upon his death, Murry Wilson's signature eyeglasses were given by Dennis Wilson to friend Kathie Nagle, who later sold them to a private collector.

Discography

• The Many Moods of Murry Wilson (1967)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Badman, Keith- The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio- Pg. 10- 2004- Backstreet Books- San Francisco- ISBN 0-87930-818-4.
2. ^ Brian Wilson (April 24, 1999). Interview with Howard Stern. The Howard Stern Radio Show. 
3. ^ Brian Wilson biography at Musician's Guide.com
4. ^ Letovski, Irv (1989-09-19), Brian Wilson Sues Music Publisher, Los Angeles Times, http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-19/entertainment/ca-4315_1_brian-wilson, retrieved 2011-09-17 

Persondata
Name	Wilson, Murry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 2, 1917
Place of birth	Hutchinson, Kansas
Date of death	June 4, 1973
Place of death	Whittier, California