Carnie Wilson Pays Loving Tribute to Her Uncle, Beach Boy Carl Wilson
The daughter of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, Carnie Wilson grew up in a world of harmonies and history, and was close to her famous family, including uncles (and fellow Beach Boys) Dennis and Carl Wilson. In a recent post on Instagram, Carnie recalls a fun memory from when she was young and got to sing a very famous Beach Boys tune with her family.
She wrote, alongside the throwback photo of them singing together, “When we were young uncle Carl used to give us the cue to come out on stage during Good Vibrations. We would stay through the encore which was always Fun Fun Fun!! We used to love to sing and we couldn’t wait to get out there!! We were like a horse ready to come out of the cage and race !! I miss my uncle Carl every day. I know that he’s watching over our whole family. This picture brings me joy 💖💕💖💕💖 I know my daddy misses him too!”
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As Carnie found her own place in the spotlight with Wilson Phillips in the early ’90s, Carl was one of her biggest fans. In interviews, Carnie has recalled how Carl’s support never felt like pressure and how he was always quietly supportive of her career. In a family full of immense talent and complicated relationships, Carl was peace for her.
Even after his passing on February 6, 1998 at just 51 years old from lung cancer, Carl’s influence remains deeply woven into Carnie’s life. His voice, she says, still echoes in her memory like one of those Beach Boys ballads that make you smile.
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She told PEOPLE, “Carl was an amazing writer, amazing singer. He really had such a great sound. He was protective. Dad just wasn’t … We just weren’t spending time with him. But then he said to us, ‘I follow you on the charts every week,’ so he was watching [from] behind his door. But Carl was like, ‘You guys just have to keep going.’”
Today, as Carnie balances her music, motherhood and more, it’s clear that her uncle’s legacy lives on in her spirit. She may have inherited her father’s genius for melody, but from Carl, she inherited something just as powerful, the ability to keep going despite the odds.
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May 2019
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