Blessed with an angelic voice, Carl sang lead on their biggest hit, "Good Vibrations", on "God Only Knows", "Darlin'", "Long Promised Road", "Feel Flows", "I Can Hear Music", "Good Timin'", "Trader", "Girl Don't Tell Me", "This Whole World", "All This Is That", and others. Moreover, as the most emotionally stable member of the group, Carl was their chosen leader.

In the 1970's, Carl invited me to his Malibu beach house for the afternoon. After a day of jogging on the beach, discussing music, and channel-surfing with his family around the TV, Carl asked me if I had anything planned for the next couple of months; he was inviting me to join the Beach Boys' rhythm section as keyboardist! For the next few years I was to have the pleasure of working and traveling with one of the world's most talented rock bands.

When Carl produced an album on his close friend, Ricci Martin (Dean Martin's son and whose sister was to become Carl's next wife), he asked me to arrange the orchestra (strings, woodwinds, French horns). During our discussion of the arrangement, he mentioned several specific things he wanted, including a Gershwin-influenced 4-bar break. However, we had diametrically opposed opinions on whether the orchestra on one song should soar up during the Chorus, or go down into the midrange. To give us the most flexibility, I wrote two arrangements: his way (down) and mine (up). At the recording session, I asked Carl which version he'd like to hear first; he asked for mine. After the assembled orchestra (so large that the French horns and the woodwinds had to be put into other rooms, including a broom closet!) played through my version, soaring high through the Chorus, Carl loved what he heard and did not even want to hear the other version, his own! Rarely have I known a creative artist who was so able to overcome his own ego in his pursuit of art.

Carl's contribution to America's Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band was enormous, second only to his brother Brian. Although he couldn't read music, he left a rich musical legacy that will be remembered as long as mankind celebrates its musical culture. Carl was that rarest of human beings: irreplaceable. Thank you, Carl, for having lived and loved.