What Is Al Jardine's Net Worth?
Al Jardine is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author who has a net worth of $20 million. Al Jardine is best known for being a founding member of the Beach Boys. Al served as the band's rhythm guitarist, and he sang lead vocals on songs such as "Then I Kissed Her," "Help Me, Rhonda," and "Come Go with Me." Jardine co-wrote and sang lead on the 1978 single "Lady Lynda," which reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart. After his bandmate Carl Wilson died in 1998, Al was excluded from the touring Beach Boys, but he reunited with the band for their 50th anniversary tour in 2012. The following year, he began touring with Brian Wilson's band. Jardine released the 2001 album "Live in Las Vegas" with his group Endless Summer Band, and he released the 2010 solo album "A Postcard from California." Al also published a children's book, "Sloop John B: A Pirate's Tale," in 2005. In 1988, Al was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Beach Boys, and he was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2019.
Early Life
Al Jardine was born Alan Charles Jardine on September 3, 1942, in Lima, Ohio. Al grew up in Rochester, New York, with mother Virginia, father Donald, and older brother Neal. In Rochester, Donald took a job with Eastman Kodak and was a teacher at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The family later relocated to San Francisco, followed by Hawthorne, California.
In Hawthorne Jardine played football at Hawthorne High School and became friends with backup quarterback Brian Wilson. After graduating from high school in 1960, Al briefly attended Ferris State University in Michigan, then he returned to California and enrolled at El Camino College. He reunited with Wilson in college and brought up the idea of starting a band. Jardine and Wilson formed the Beach Boys in 1961 with Brian's younger brothers, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, and their cousin Mike Love.
The Beach Boys
Al played upright bass on the first Beach Boys recording, "Surfin'" (1961), and he left the band in early 1962 due to creative differences. After his replacement, David Marks, left the Beach Boys, Jardine returned to the band full-time in the fall of 1963. The first song Al sang lead on was 1964's "Christmas Day" from the band's seventh studio album, "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album." He then sang lead on the 1965 single "Help Me, Rhonda," which topped the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. Jardine urged the band to record a cover of the folk song "Sloop John B," which was featured on 1966's "Pet Sounds," and it reached #1 in several countries. The song was ranked #276 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's 2011 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." In late 1964, Brian Wilson stopped touring, and Al took on a bigger role as a lead singer during the band's concerts. Beginning with the 1968 album "Friends," Jardine started writing songs for the group, such as "California Saga: California" and "Lady Lynda," and he later produced songs for the band. He was instrumental in the Beach Boys' decision to record a cover of "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, and the single peaked at #8 on the "Billboard" Adult Contemporary chart.
Sadly, Carl Wilson died of lung cancer in February 1998, and Al was ousted from the touring version of the band, making Mike Love the only original member of the Beach Boys still performing at their concerts. Jardine recorded music and toured with the Endless Summer Band, which featured several musicians that had toured with the Beach Boys, including Bobby Figueroa and Billy Hinsche. Al's sons Adam and Matt also played with the Endless Summer Band. The band released the album "Live in Las Vegas" in 2001, and Jardine toured as "Al Jardine, Beach Boy," "Beach Boys Family & Friends," and "Al Jardine of the Beach Boys." Love subsequently sued Jardine to stop him from using the Beach Boys name, which he had licensed in the late '90s, and the courts ruled in favor of Mike. Al appealed the court's decision and sought $4 million in damages, and the California Court of Appeal agreed that Love "acted wrongfully in freezing Jardine out of touring under the Beach Boys name." The case was settled out of court in March 2008, and terms of the settlement weren't disclosed, but Al's attorney, Lawrence Noble, stated, "Mr. Jardine feels very happy and feels that this is a friendly settlement that allows them to focus on the talent and future of this American iconic band."
(VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images)
In 2006, Al toured with Brian Wilson in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Platinum album "Pet Sounds," and in 2010, he released his debut solo album, "A Postcard from California." The album featured Brian Wilson, Mike Love, David Crosby, Glen Campbell, Neil Young, Steve Miller, and other musicians, and actor Alec Baldwin performed the spoken intermission "Tidepool Interlude." In 2011, Jardine reunited with the Beach Boys touring band at a concert for the late Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday, singing "Sloop John B" and "Help Me, Rhonda," and in 2012, he embarked on "The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour" with Brian Wilson, Mike Love, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston. The band released the album "That's Why God Made the Radio" in June 2012, and critics praised Al's performance on the song "From There to Back Again," with "Paste" magazine's Ryan Reed singling out his "stand-out lead vocal." In September 2012, the Beach Boys returned to their pre-Anniversary Tour lineup, and Jardine and Marks toured with Brian Wilson's band in 2013 and performed on his 2015 solo album "No Pier Pressure." Al then took part in Brian's "Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour," which ran from March 2016 to June 2019. Jardine contributed backing vocals to the 2017 John Mayer song "Emoji of a Wave," and in 2018, he started performing solo storyteller-style concerts called "Al Jardine – A Postcard From California – From the Very First Song With a Founding Member of the Beach Boys." In 2021, he released a CD single featuring two songs, "Jenny Clover" and "Waves of Love 2.0.," with some of the proceeds going to the charitable organization World Central Kitchen. In 2022, Al announced the "Family & Friends Tour" featuring his son Matt and Brian's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson.
Personal Life
Al married Lynda Lee Sperry on February 9, 1964, and they welcomed sons Matthew (born 1966) and Adam (born 1970) before divorcing in February 1984. Jardine then wed Mary Ann Helmandollar on March 24, 1984, and their twin sons, Robert and Andrew, were born in 1986.
Awards and Honors
In 2001, Jardine earned a Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video for "Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story" (shared with Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Alan Boyd, and Stephanie Bennett), and the Beach Boys were honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The band received an Award of Merit at the 1988 American Music Awards, and they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1980, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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