On Dec. 31, 1961, a new era of music started when The Beach Boys, a new band on the scene, made their big debut with their first-ever paid performance.
On their first night with their new name, The Beach Boys, members Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Carl, Dennis, and Brian Wilson, performed at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium for the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance.
Love recalled the special night in an interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this year, saying, “We played three songs and got $300, but also on that show was Ike Turner and Kings of Rhythm. We got to hear Tina Turner sing this song called ‘I’m Blue.’ It was primordial and blew my mind.”…