7 Reasons The Beach Boys Never Finished Their Masterpiece
5. Carl Wilson Was Drafted Into The Army
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjxK9ojmAT8 Carl, the youngest of the three Wilson brothers, was the most naturally gifted singer in the Beach Boys, and his soaring falsetto vocals made many of their songs. Though an infrequent lead singer in their early days, his vocals on Pet Sounds track God Only Knows opened the door for more opportunities to take a more central role. He sang lead vocals on four of the songs from SMiLE, but his involvement would arguably have been much greater were it not for a protracted legal struggle which would have consequences for the whole band and project. In 1966, Carl was drafted by the US Army to serve in Vietnam, and ordered to report for duty in January of the following year. 1967 came around, but he refused to honour the draft, sparking a long court battle. He justified his refusal to join up by claiming to be a conscientious objector, but lodged his objections too late. He was charged with draft evasion and arrested in New York before a concert in April 1967. Though these charges were later dropped, he was still ordered to do community service, something he also didn't turn up for. He was again charged, and the legal problems would drag out right up to the summer of 1971. By this time, the SMiLE had project had been dead for four years, Brians involvement in the band was minimal, and Carl would soon become its de-facto leader.