1961
  January   Mike marries Frances St. Martin on the 4th.
  June   Alan returns to Los Angeles from Ferris U, and enrols at El Camino Community College,where
  he meets Brian again, and suggests they form a group. Brian offers Carl and Mike for inclusion.
  He also reforms The Islanders.
  July   Mike & Francis' first child, Melinda, is born on the 15th.
  summer   Alan & Gary Winfrey are called back by Hite Morgan.  Barrow is away at college so Keith
  Lent takes his place. They perform "Rio Grande", written by Morgan's son, Bruce. After the
  session, Brian is approached to help out.
  mid August   with Brian, Carl, Dennis & Mike, Alan re-auditions for the Morgans, performing either
  "Rio Grande" or "Sloop John B" (or possibly both); the Morgans request original material.
  Dennis (untruthfully) says that Brian & Mike have written a song about surfing. The two cousins
  then proceed to do just that.
  September   over the Labor Day weekend (2nd & 3rd) , the band rent instruments with $300 food money
  left by Murry (plus a little extra from Alan's mother) and practice "Surfin'" during the absence of
  Murry & Audree Wilson. Upon their return, Murry assumes managerial status. The band - now
  called the Pendletones - later demo "Surfin'", "Luau" & "Lavender" in the Morgan's front room
  'studio'. Brian & Mike sign a songwriting contract with Guild Music on the 15th, the day of the
  demo session.
  October   on the 3rd the band record "Surfin'", "Luau" & "Lavender" at World Pacific studios in LA. The
  line up is Brian (vocals/percussion), Carl (vocals/guitar), Dennis (vocals), Mike (vocals) and
  Alan (vocals/acoustic bass).
  late November   "Surfin'/Luau" is released on Candix 331. It will later be reissued twice, first on X 301 and then
  on Candix 301. The band appear on the label as The Beach Boys, without their knowledge (the
  name came from a conversation between Russ Regan and Joe Saraceno: they nearly ended up
  being called The Surfers).
  December   the Beach Boys make their first live appearance, playing two songs during the intermission at a
  Dick Dale show at the Rendezvous Ballroom on the 23rd, and are poorly received. They make
  their second live appearance (commonly but erroneously regarded as their first) at the Richie
  Valens Memorial Concert, in Long Beach CA on New Year's Eve.