Thank you, Brian Wilson

I wasn't ready to write this one. Yesterday, another great and gifted one passes into the next life. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys dies, and the world loses a genius that impacted many, many artists, including my beloved duo, Carpenters. Brother Richard Carpenter often noted the influence of the "3 Bs" on their music: Burt Bacharach, Beatles, and The Beach Boys. (Later, he'd reference four, adding BeeGees to the list.) His take on the classic Fun, Fun, Fun sits snuggly on the duo's 1973 Now & Then album. A few years later, sister Karen Carpenter had her own chance to sing lead vocal on a Beach Boys tune. Her duet with John Denver on Good Vibrations was arguably the highlight of the duo's first television special. Needless to say, folks will be talking about their admiration for the main architect of The Beach Boys sound for decades to come. Like many things, you don't know what you've got til it's gone. Made in U.S.A. indeed.