The Beach Boys are an American pop/surf rock group from Hawthorne, California. They formed in 1961, and the original members were Brian Wilson (keyboards, bass guitar), his brothers Dennis Wilson (drums) and Carl Wilson (lead guitar), their cousin Mike Love (lead vocals), and close friend Al Jardine (rhythm guitar). David Marks replaced Jardine when he went away to school; after Jardine's return, Marks left the band. Bruce Johnston (keyboards) later became a regular band member, first replacing Brian Wilson on tour, then joining in on recording sessions. Many of the band's songs were about life in southern California, the beach, girls, cars, and surfing (though Dennis Wilson and Bruce Johnston were actually the only members in the group who surfed).