What an odd coincidence that I would just grab an old surf record out of the air yesterday to write about, and now Jan Berry has died:
- Pioneering California rock musician Jan Berry, who rode the wave of the surf music trend in the 1960s as one half of the popular duo Jan & Dean, has died, his wife said on Saturday.
Berry, who would have turned 63 on April 3, had suffered from poor health ever since a 1966 auto wreck that left him paralyzed for a year, essentially ending the duo's career.
He appeared to suffer a seizure at his home in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood on Friday afternoon, Gertie Berry told Reuters, and was later pronounced dead at the nearby UCLA Medical Center. She did not know the official cause of death.
Jan & Dean, which Berry co-founded with former schoolmate Dean Torrence while both were college students, enjoyed seven top-10 hits, including the 1963 chart-topper "Surf City," which was co-written by their friend, Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean often performed on each others' tracks, without the knowledge of their rival record labels. Other Jan & Dean hits included "Drag City," "Dead Man's Curve" and "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena," all from 1964.
Berry, a pre-med student with a genius-level IQ, was the creative brains behind Jan & Dean. He assumed control of production and arrangements at a time when such chores were left to seasoned pros. He was a key influence on Brian Wilson, who would soon take songwriting and production to a whole new level, according to Berry's official biographer, Mark Moore.
....Tragedy struck for Berry in April 1966 when his speeding Corvette hit a parked truck on a Los Angeles thoroughfare. He was completely paralyzed for over a year, and suffered extensive brain damage.
After years of extensive therapy, he was able to walk again and regain some of his cognitive functions. Jan & Dean reunited unsuccessfully in 1973, but saw renewed interest in their career following a 1978 TV movie called "Dead Man's Curve."
Berry recorded his debut solo album, "Second Wave," in 1997, and occasionally performed with Torrence. Their last show together, with Berry in a wheelchair, was on March 6 in El Cajon, California, Moore said. [Reuters]
Very sad to see Jan go - he struggled for years and years to come back from the accident, and while he never really came back, the fact that he was able to function and make music again was a great triumph.
Article comments
1 - Hazy Dave
Didn't see the news until this morning. Jan and Dean made some very amusing records in their day. Unfortunately, their lack of seriousness negatively impacted their legacy over the years. (I think the Trashmen get more critical respect!) The first 75% of that "Anthology Album" disc would be a good starting point for a definitive Jan & Dean collection, but they've had 35 years to do it right and not really come close enough. Too many great songs omitted, too much throwaway filler included. (Listening to that "live" nonsense is excruciating.) But the spreadsheet inside showing their single releases with number of vocal overdubs and each guy's girlfriend and car at the time of each recording, is priceless. (I don't know if it's included in the CD release.)
Did you know it was Jan's brother mentioned in Neil Young's "Tonight's the Night"?
Bruce Berry was a working man, he used to load that Econoline van...
2 - Eric Olsen
Great info Dave, thanks! I had known that about Bruce but completely forgotten.
3 - Hazy Dave
Gotta Take That One Last Ride is another flawed 2-LP collection (from just a couple years after the Anthology Album) rereleased on a single CD by One Way. "Gonna Hustle You" is a classic track.
4 - Bill Sherman
As an early teen during the period of J&D's biggest hits ('63-64), I was attracted to their humor almost as much as their sound. The Legendary Master Series single-disc CD set from 1990, Surf City, is a plenty satisfying set to these ears . . .
5 - Scooby
Jan & Dean were the greatest Surf artists of all time. Jan Berry was a real genious and tought Brian Wilson a hell of alot.
Their music will always live on, and you can discover a great deal about them, and see hundreds of unique photos at the Official Fan Site at www.jananddean.moonfruit.com
Enjoy the music.
6 - Eric Olsen
thanks Scooby - it depends on your definition of "surf" of course. Jan contributed much, including to the Beach Boys
7 - Peter S. Cilione
What did he die from? Peter.
8 - rick
hey peter jan died from having a massive seizure. to scooby yes jan was a genius,but if it wasn't for brian wilson helping them jan and dean would not have had the smash hit surf city. my opinion on the whole surf music wave is jan and dean started itas early as 1959 and rocked the entire west and east coast for about 4 or5 yrs . then the beach boys came into picture and did the same damn thing, and these are the only duo and band to start it and finish it.
9 - Rick M.
Jan Berry AND Brian Wilson wrote Surf City...