Good vibrations from Brian Wilson
Beach Boy founder Brian Wilson has pledged to telephone everyone who pledges 100 dollars to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts – and has been inundated with calls.
The idea came from a fan, Iowa Jim, who e-mailed a challenge to the star, saying he should call him and he would gladly make a donation.
“So I called him up!” a jovial Wilson said.
What’s more, Wilson and his wife, Melinda, decided to match any contribution of 100 dollars or more posted on his website between now and October 1.
“If we get 10,000 dollars, we’ll match 10,000 dollars,” Wilson said.
The musician, who recalled being warmly welcomed when he performed at the New Orleans JazzFest earlier this year, said it was heartbreaking to see what Katrina had done to the city.
Since posting his challenge on Thursday, he said he had talked to about 15 people. Most are fans who want to say hello or ask a question about the music.
Having just completed a summer tour that included performances of his 47-minute rock opera masterpiece Smile, Wilson had been preparing to go into the studio soon to work on a new album.
For the time being, however, it appears he will be spending much of his time on the phone.
“I’ve got to go pretty soon,” he said. ”I’ve got 20 more calls to make tonight.”
