Great Unknown Beach Boys #6

Shown on the left with Al Jardine at a show in Hawaii, here is quite possibly the most obscure Beach Boy of all...

From his website (link below)

"David Marks began playing music with his neighbors, the Wilson brothers, in 1958 when he was 10 years old, eventually developing their own unique hybrid of surf instrumentals and Chuck Berry influenced Rock & Roll. When Brian Wilson began using that electric Rock and Roll foundation to support his intricate vocal harmonies, an exciting new sound was created.

In spring 1962 Capitol Records acquired a demo recording of the songs Surfin’ Safari and 409 performed by Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and neighbor David Marks which upon release became a massive national hit. It was at this time that these five names, known as The Beach Boys, became Capitol Records recording stars with a future as bright as the California sun.

Over the course of the next two years, The Beach Boys would evolve into America’s top rock act as well as experiencing a steadily growing international fame. In only 18 months they recorded an astonishing four classic studio albums that included some of rock music’s most beloved anthems such as Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ USA, Catch a Wave, Surfer Girl, In My Room, 409, Shut Down, Little Deuce Coupe and Be True to You School while also touring the entire United States from Hawaii to New York. And it was during these first years that the enduring image of five smiling Pendleton clad guys, carrying a surfboard on a California beach, was forever ingrained as the iconic image of American music – defining the band in the public’s eye for decades to come.

David Marks was part of all of that, and then in late 1963 at 15 years of age he walked away from the Beach Boys at the very height of their initial wave of success."

Many years later, David rejoined and toured with the Beach Boys from 1997 to 1999, when he had to leave after contracting Hepatitis C. It took several years but he is now healthy again.

More of David's bio here:

http://davidleemarks.com/dmbio/

And his main page

http://davidleemarks.com/