A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys has an air-date – Sunday, April 9. The show was taped at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on Feb. 8, three days after the live broadcast of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Like past Grammy Salutes specials, the show features a broad range of artists performing the honoree’s songs. The salute to The Beach Boys includes a mix of artists who seem to be on Grammy producers’ speed-dials (Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Take 6), and a few less automatic choices (Fall Out Boy, My Morning Jacket, Weezer).
In addition, the special will feature appearances by music legends Sir Elton John and Bruce Springsteen; actors Drew Carey, Tom Hanks and John Stamos; Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.; and former chair of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees, super-producer Jimmy Jam. Beach Boys members Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love, David Marks and Brian Wilson will appear as featured guests as well.
John did the honors when The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. He was the subject of his own special in 2018, Elton John: I’m Still Standing — A Grammy Salute.
A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys is produced by Tenth Planet Productions. Joel Gallen, Rick Krim and Irving Azoff serve as executive producers and Rick Austin as co-executive producer. Gallen also directed the special.
AEG Ehrlich Ventures, headed by Ken Ehrlich, the former executive producer of the Grammy Awards telecast, oversaw past Grammy Salutes specials.
The special airs during a year-long celebration of The Beach Boys 60th anniversary. (As is often the case with anniversary commemorations, it’s a little late. The Beach Boys were formed in Hawthorne, Calif., in 1961. The group first cracked the Billboard Hot 100 with “Surfin” in February 1962. But 61st or 62nd anniversary doesn’t have the same ring to it.)
A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys will air less than four months after the airing of the previous Grammy Salutes special. Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon, aired on Dec. 21.
The Beach Boys special will air on Sunday April 9 from 8 – 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. In a first for these Grammy Salutes specials, a one-hour version of the tribute will air on MTV at a future date to be announced.
Here’s something they probably won’t tell you on the special: The Beach Boys never won a Grammy in competition, despite four nominations. Even their masterwork “Good Vibrations” went 0-3 at the Grammys. (During The Beach Boys’ 1960s heyday, Grammy voters were still trying to decide what they thought of contemporary pop/rock.)
Grammy voters have since decided they like it – and The Beach Boys in particular – very much. The group received a lifetime achievement from the Recording Academy in 2001. Wilson was named MusiCares person of the year in 2005. Five Beach Boys recordings have been voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which functions as a second chance for the Grammys to reward worthy records they may have missed the first time around.
Since The Beach Boys’ heyday, Brian Wilson has received six more Grammy nominations, winning twice – best rock instrumental performance for “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow” (2004) and best historical album for The Smile Sessions (Deluxe Box Set) (2012).
In additon, Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007.
Check out a complete list of the performances set for A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys below:
“Darlin’” – Andy Grammer
“Sloop John B” – Beck
“Good Vibrations” – Beck, Jim James
“In My Room” – Brandi Carlile
“God Only Knows” – Brandi Carlile & John Legend
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” – Charlie Puth
“Do You Wanna Dance” – Fall Out Boy
“Do It Again” – Foster The People
“Barbara Ann” – Hanson
“The Warmth of the Sun” – Norah Jones
“Surfer Girl” – Lady A
“Sail on Sailor” – John Legend
“Help Me Rhonda” – Little Big Town
“Surfin’ USA / Fun Fun Fun” – Luke Spiller & Taylor Momsen
“Don’t Worry Baby” – Michael McDonald & Take 6
“I Know There’s an Answer” – Mumford & Sons
“I Get Around” – My Morning Jacket
“Heroes and Villains” – Pentatonix
“Caroline No” – LeAnn Rimes
“You Still Believe in Me” – St. Vincent
“California Girls” – Weezer
