Beach Boy Brian Wilson Honored at Kennedy Center 2007

Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys received a Kennedy Center Honor earlier in December - the show was broadcast over the holidays while I was in Wisconsin visiting my family. So I just watched it - the Steve Martin tribute was lame, the Martin Scorsese tribute was funny, didn't see the classical musician dude or Diana Ross, and the Brian Wilson tribute closed the show.

Fittingly. It was the best...and most poignant. Art Garfunkle from Simon and Garfunkle introduced the Brian tribute - I love Art and he did a wonderful job. Hootie and the Blowfish sang California Girls and I Get Around...not the group I would've chosen to honor Brian. Here are two clips from fitting tributes though - Lyle Lovett singing God Only Knows, and Libera - a boys choir from London - singing Love and Mercy.
Libera - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcqvknM6vFI
Lovett - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAg9vOQWAzQ&feature=related
Lovett's rendition was very nice - his interpretation (and if you're familiar with Lovett's style you catch my drift). I teared up for most of Brian's tribute (being The Beach Boys groupie that I am) as I sat watching it - alone. And when the beach balls descended from the ceiling during Love and Mercy - well...you have to watch it. EVERYONE in the audience was clearly taken by the moment. It was the child-like innocence of Libera that truthfully reflected the child-like innocence of Brian Wilson.

Art Garfunkle put it abtly, Brian is "rock and roll's gentlest revolutionary".

Congratulations, Brian.