Sept. 3: Al Jardine, founding member of the Beach Boys and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is 69 today.

Jardine was born in Lima, Ohio but spent his teen years in Southern California. In high school, he jammed with fellow student, Brian Wilson. He played stand up bass on The Beach Boys' first recording, "Surfin'," in 1961. He left the group in 1962 for a "real job," but returned a little over a year later at Brian Wilson's request.

All told, Jardine had been a Beach Boy for 35 years. His main roles were playing rhythm guitarist and singing backup harmonies, but also sang lead on a number of songs including "Help Me, Rhonda," "Then I Kissed Her," "Lady Lynda," "Cotton Fields," and "Come Go With Me."

Jardine also wrote or co-wrote a number of songs for the band, the most notable of which is probably "California Saga: California" from the Holland album, which charted in early 1973. Jardine's song "Lady Lynda" was one of the band's biggest hits overseas. After Jardine's divorce from his wife, the song was re-written and re-titled "Lady Liberty" in honor of the centennial of the Statue Of Liberty in 1986. During the Pet Sounds sessions, he was the one that suggested to Brian Wilson that the group record "Sloop John B."

Jardine left the touring version of the Beach Boys in 1998 after Carl Wilson died of lung cancer, but remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation Brother Records. He tours with his Endless Summer Band, containing many of the stage musicians who toured with The Beach Boys, including Billy Hinsche of Dino, Desi and Billy, Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa, and Jardine's son Matt Jardine, who sang with the Beach Boys during much of their later career.

(Continued below video and Amazon portals ...)