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Jan & Dean

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Musicians

The Resume

    (April 3, 1941-March 26, 2004)
    Jan Berry (April 3, 1941-March 26, 2004)
    Dean Torrence (March 10, 1940- )
    Recorded 'Surf City,' 'Linda,' 'Honolulu Lulu,' 'Drag City,' 'Dead Man's Curve,' 'The New Girl in School,' 'The Little Old Lady from Pasadena,' 'Ride the Wild Surf,' 'Sidewalk Surfin',' 'You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy,' 'Jennie Lee,' 'Baby Talk' and 'Heart and Soul'
    Final performance together was in El Cajon, California (March 6, 2004)

Why he might be annoying:

    They tried a doo-wop style at first, calling themselves The Barons, but nothing came of it.
    Berry's first hit, 'Jennie Lee,' was with Arnie Ginsburg, not Torrence, as he was stuck serving a mandatory stretch in the U.S. Army at the time.
    Only one of their songs, 'Surf City,' went to #1 (1963).
    Berry penned 'Dead Man's Curve' little knowing how prophetic it would become two years after being written.
    Even though many of their songs involved complex, multi-layered tracks, critics dismissed their music as being 'too much fun' to be taken seriously.
    Berry went through several years of substance abuse problems.
    They will always be known as a cloned version of the Beach Boys.

Why he might not be annoying:

    They were both members of their high school football team and got together to make records so they could 'impress chicks.'
    Berry and the Beach Boys's Brian Wilson became close friends and shared a commonality - they were as much 'architects' and 'craftsmen' of sound as they were musicians.
    Both graduated from college. Berry got his premed from UCLA (1964) and Torrence his BA from USC (1964).
    They were named #1 Billboard 'Duo Of The Year' (1965).
    Berry suffered severe head injuries in a car crash and was thought to be dead at the scene before being revived (April 1966). He had to learn to walk and talk all over again.
    During Berry's lengthy recovery period, Torrence became a successful graphic artist, designing album covers for the Beach Boys, the Turtles and earned a Grammy for album design for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
    They eventually played together again and were the first American group to tour the People's Republic of China (1986).
    Berry died of a brain seizure at age 62 from complications related to his car crash 38 years earlier (March 26, 2004).

Credit: Scar Tactics


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 19 Votes: 52.63% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 27 Votes: 62.96% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 41 Votes: 36.59% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 55 Votes: 36.36% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 87 Votes: 56.32% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 128 Votes: 50.78% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 5771 Votes: 42.85% Annoying