Tony Asher is a British-American lyricist who co-wrote eight songs on The Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds in conjunction with Brian Wilson, including "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice". Asher, who formally helped translate Wilson's ideas into words, had a significant influence on the album. In Asher's own words, "The general tenor of the lyrics was often [Brian's], however the actual choice of words was usually mine. I was really just his interpreter." Looking for a clean break from the by-then-famous "Beach Boys sound" and not wanting to collaborate with any of the songwriters with whom he had previously worked, Wilson called Asher?an advertising copywriter whom he barely knew?in early January 1966 and within ten days they had started to write what would eventually become Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys' most influential album. Pet Sounds is ranked at #2 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Asher's original draft lyrics for "Good Vibrations", replaced by Wilson and Mike Love on the hit single version, were eventually re-recorded for the version released on Brian Wilson Presents Smile. 

May 2nd, 1939 in London (Age 85)