HASTINGS, Mich. — On Wednesday, June 11th, Brian Wilson, one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, passed away.
Hastings resident Daniel Baker has a special connection to the music legend: he owns Wilson's old 1966 Corvette.
WATCH: Hastings man remembers Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson with a drive down memory lane
Baker is not only a big fan of old cars, but the Beach Boys as well.
“It’s got the old paint on it, the steering wheel, the seat that Brian Wilson sat on, and the stick shift that he grabbed and shifted,” he said.
Baker says Wilson claimed this was his favorite car he ever owned.
Brian Wilson first bought the car back on July 15th, 1966, just three days before the Beach Boys released the single version of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
According to Baker, Wilson owned the car until 1970, when he traded it in to a Mercedes dealership, where a resident from Jenison bought it and later sold it again in 1973 to former Grand Rapids assistant prosecutor Gary Wallin. Wallin owned the Corvette until 1993, when he put out an advertisement that read, "Former Beach Boys Car For Sale."
Daniel knew Wallin and had been interested in buying the car for some time. He said, “So I called there, and I said, 'Gary, Dan Baker calling.'” Wallin replied, “Oh, I was supposed to call you when I sold the car, right?”
Days later, the car ended up in Baker’s hands, where he has had it ever since.
“I've had it for 32 years. I like owning it. I like to share it with people. I love the Beach Boys' sound and the music, and it's just a piece of Americana.”
We spoke with Daniel on the day of Wilson’s passing. While he is sad that the legend is gone, he will always appreciate what Wilson brought to the world.
“It's going to be a different world without him, but we've got his music and the gifts he left us, so we can enjoy what he gave us.”
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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