What Beach Boys Co-Founder Al Jardine’s Life Looks Like Today
Al Jardine still performs with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, sometimes even releasing music as a solo artist. When he’s not enjoying music as a hobby, this artist spends time in Big Sur — driving, reading, and attending cattle brandings. Here’s what we know about this award-winning musician and what he’s doing now.
Al Jardine appeared as a founding member of The Beach Boys
Along with brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their cousin Mike Love, Jardine was a founding member of the surf rock group The Beach Boys. Jardine appeared on “Good Vibrations,” “Kokomo,” and “God Only Knows.”
The musician was also one of the songwriters behind Beach Boys hits like “Bells of Christmas,” “Lady Lynda,” and “California Calling.”
Al Jardine of the Beach Boys still makes music as a hobby
The Beach Boys slowly dissolved as a band following the death of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998. Some members continued to make music, including Mike Love. Now, Jardine fills his days with music and other hobbies.
“I love driving — exploring the California coastline is the best drive in the world,” Jardine said during an interview with Jeremy Roberts. “I also like riding my John Deere tractor. Mine’s a 30-year-old 2040 diesel with a front-end loader.”
“My family and I reside on a non-working farm, although we have a couple of horses and the usual stuff like pigs, cows, and chickens,” he continued. “We really don’t have an honest-to-goodness farm, more of a hobby farm.”
Jardine also enjoys reading, mentioning that he reads “a lot of trash” in his spare time.
“My older brother Neal is the brains in the family — he has 1,000 or 2,000 books in his collection,” he said. “He’s an inveterate reader and a lawyer in Los Angeles, so that makes me the dummy in the family. In all seriousness, I really do enjoy factual material.”
Of course, music remains a hobby of Jardine. The artist explained that music is a hobby even more than his other activities, mentioning that his dad and older brother were also musically inclined.
Al Jardine spends time in Big Sur, California and on tour with Brian Wilson
At the time of the interview, Jardine said he was invited to a branding in Casa Robles, sharing that there are cattle ranches in California. Still, this former Beach Boy finds time for music. Jardine released the solo album A Postcard from California in 2010. In 2021, “Waves of Love 2.0” debuted on Spotify.
Sometimes Jardine performs Beach Boys music. He partnered with Brian Wilson for a live performance of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” in honor of the Pet Sounds 50th anniversary. In 2022, this artist embarked on a North American-based tour with Chicago and Brian Wilson, making stops at several California concerts.
