And so it was that on Saturday (March 27), we learned that Jan Berry, one half of the popular 1960s surf duo Jan & Dean, had died from a brain seizure, according to Berry's wife. Berry was just one week shy of turning 63. Gertie Berry reported that Jan had a seizure and stopped breathing Friday at their home in Brentwood, California. Berry, who had been in poor health recently from the lingering effects of the brain damage he sustained in a terrible car accident in 1966, was pronounced dead on Friday night (March 26).

Jan Berry and his partner, Dean Torrence, formed a group called the Barons while attending high school in Los Angeles. They practiced their unique harmonies by singing in the shower room after football practice. Bruce Johnston, who would later go on to become a Beach Boy, helped the two by recording them on a two-track tape recorder in Berry's garage, which he had turned into an amateur recording studio. Along with another member, Arnie Ginsburg, they recorded the song "Jennie Lee" in Berry's garage. Shortly after, Dean Torrence left for a six-month hitch in the army, at which point Berry signed with Doris Day's record company, Arwin. The label released the song "Jennie Lee"--about a burlesque dancer--and another called "Gas Money," under the name Jan & Arnie, because Dean was unavailable to sign the recording contract. "Jennie Lee" reached Number Eight in the charts in 1958.

When Dean returned from the army, Arnie left for a hitch in the navy. At that point the legendary duo of Jan & Dean was born and they signed with Herb Alpert's record label, Dore. Their first release, "Baby Talk," reached Number 10 in 1959. Despite their growing success in the music industry, the two continued with their education--Jan Berry, who reportedly had a genius I.Q., studied medicine, while Dean Torrence studied design.

By 1961, they changed record labels again to Challenge Records, and began singing about their passion--surfing. After a show with the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson played them a demo of his song "Surf City." Jan Berry co-wrote the lyrics of the song with Wilson, and with Wilson's help, Jan & Dean recorded that song, which quickly went to Number One in the charts and began a string of hits for the duo, mostly about surfing and hot-rodding, including a pair of 1964 classics, "Dead Man's Curve" and "The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena.)"

Jan & Dean were on a roll, with chart hits and 10 Gold records, before it all came to a tragic end. In 1966, while the two were filming the movie Easy Come Easy Go, Berry was speeding in his Corvette and hit a parked truck. The catastrophic accident caused severe brain damage that left him partially paralyzed and unable to talk. His recovery was agonizingly slow, but eventually he was able to resume singing and writing songs, and the duo made a brief comeback in 1978.

Berry is survived by his wife, Gertie, his parents, three brothers and three sisters.

At Jan & Dean's official web site, jananddean-janberry.com, there is a long posting by Jan Berry in response to a question posed to him in August of 2003 by CNN's Larry King. The question was, "How do you wish to be remembered?" Jan Berry, who was working with an autobiographer at the time, gave an extended answer, with the help of his ghost-writer.

God keep you safely within His embrace Jan, there is no adequate way that we can ever thank you for the pleasure you have given us over the years, we will listen still and you will be with us always.

Sleep now.