Jeffrey Foskett, longtime touring member of the Beach Boys who was dubbed the band’s “vice principal” by its principal members, has died at 67 following a years-long battle with anaplastic thyroid most cancers.
Brian Wilson paid tribute to his longtime pal and bandmate in a social media assertion. “I’m so heartbroken that my dear friend Jeff Foskett has passed,” he wrote. “Jeff was always there for me when we toured and we couldn’t have done it without him. Jeff was one of the most talented guys I ever knew. Love and mercy to Jeff’s family and friends, we will remember him forever.”
Born on Feb. 17, 1956, in San Jose, California, Foskett fell in love with the Beach Boys as a toddler and carried out their music, together with different surf rock classics, in native bands all through the ‘70s. He met Wilson in 1976 when he visited the reclusive, embattled musician’s residence in Bel-Air.
“Brian opened the door and said ‘Hey, come on in’ — like he’d been expecting us!” Foskett advised the Los Angeles Times in 2012. “I said, ‘Great!’ We hung around and went to the music room. [Wilson’s then-wife] Marilyn made us a sandwich. He said, ‘Stay in touch.’ And I did — and I’m glad that I did.”
How Jeffrey Foskett Joined the Beach Boys
Foskett’s large break got here a couple of years later when Mike Love found him performing in a bar close to the University of California, Santa Barbara, which Foskett was attending. Love recruited Foskett to affix his Endless Summer Beach Band, and he subsequently joined the Beach Boys within the early ‘80s, performing alongside Love, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and occasionally Brian Wilson. He stayed in the band until 1990, performing Brian’s lofty falsetto components.
After his dismissal, Foskett pursued a solo profession all through a lot of the ‘90s. He reconnected with Wilson near the end of the decade and performed on his 1998 album Imagination, subsequently becoming the musical director of the Brian Wilson Band. He also rejoined the Beach Boys for their 50th-anniversary reunion tour and performed on their 2012 album That’s Why God Made the Radio.
“Because I had remained on good terms with everyone, when it was proposed that this reunion celebration would happen, there was absolutely no problem, no issue at all,” Foskett. mentioned. “I’ve had some great talks with everybody, and it’s just a really, really fun and fulfilling time.”
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Foskett continued touring with the Beach Boys till 2019, when he took a depart of absence to endure throat surgical procedure. He revealed the identical yr that he had been recognized with stage 4 anaplastic thyroid most cancers in 2018, and that the therapy had stolen a lot of his higher vocal vary. He launched his final three studio albums — Love Songs, Vintage Summer and Voices — all in 2019.
It was the tip to a protracted profession that additionally included work with Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and extra. He likened his most important gig to a (*67*) League Baseball participant getting known as as much as the majors out of the blue.
“How many amateur athletes turn pro?” he mentioned. “And how many of the thousands of musicians — tens of thousands of musicians — in Los Angeles are going to get into the band that they really loved, and tour with them?”
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Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
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