Don Wilson has passed away....

[Doug-Morgan]

Might as well throw one more into the hopper. Don Wilson, a founding member of Tacoma, WA's own The Ventures, passed away today at the age of 88 at his home in Tacoma. He was the last surviving member of the original group that formed in the late 50's. I realise that they aren't a "soul" group, but what they meant to rock in the Pacific Northwest was gigantic.

[Motown Eddie]

I'm sorry to hear the news about Don Wilson of The Ventures. This instrumental band has a huge impact on the world of Rock Music [particularly early '60s Surf Music] and many guitar players were influenced by them. Rest In Music & Peace Don Wilson.

[kenneth]

I didn’t appreciate them until much after their heyday. I’ve come to really love them. There was a great series of CDs on the See for Miles label which had two albums per CD in pristine sound and beautifully remastered. It even included some of their albums which were only released in Japan where they were very very popular for a long time. A great group with a huge influence. They may be a little under the radar in terms of main stream success, but they really resonated with people who really appreciate great guitar playing, and they certainly are deserving of the fame they achieved and to be remembered. I think many many teenagers learned how to play guitar by copying the licks they heard on their albums.