Dean Torrence keeps the Jan and Dean engine humming at 86
The Jan and Dean cofounder reflected on surf-rock hits, the Beach Boys and Jan Berry’s life-changing 1966 crash in a Rolling Stone interview.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Dean Torrence is 86, still performing now and then with the Surf City All-Stars, and still carrying the Jan and Dean story more than two decades after Jan Berry’s death.
In a new Rolling Stone interview with Andy Greene, Torrence looked back on the Los Angeles duo’s rise from schoolboy doo-wop singers to surf-rock fixtures, as well as the 1966 car crash that changed Berry’s life and the group’s future.
Rolling Stone reported that Jan and Dean began in 1957 at Emerson Junior High School in Los Angeles, where Torrence and Berry bonded over doo-wop. With early help from Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, plus a boost from Dick Clark on American Bandstand, the pair scored teen hits including “Baby Talk” and “Clementine.”
School by day, pop stars by night
The duo later became tied to the surf and car-song boom of the early 1960s. Rolling Stone noted that “Surf City,” co-written by Brian Wilson, became a No. 1 hit, and Jan and Dean went on to emcee the 1964 concert film T.A.M.I. Show, which featured the Rolling Stones, James Brown, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys.
Even as the records took off, both men stayed in college. Torrence studied advertising design at USC, while Berry attended UCLA and later California College of Medicine, according to Rolling Stone.
Torrence told the magazine that staying in school helped keep the business at arm’s length. “It was actually a good thing,” he said, adding that time away from the music industry gave them room to think before accepting offers.
He also said Dick Clark’s television reach made constant touring less urgent. Torrence told Rolling Stone that an appearance on The Dick Clark Show could generate hundreds of thousands of record orders after a single lip-synced performance.
The crash that altered the story
Berry, described by Rolling Stone as the group’s leader and a key creative force behind songs including “Dead Man’s Curve,” was badly injured on April 12, 1966, in a car crash near the Los Angeles location associated with that song. The crash left him with severe brain damage and partial paralysis, the magazine reported.
Torrence later reunited with Berry after the 1978 TV movie Deadman’s Curve brought their story to younger viewers. Berry died in 2004 after years of health problems connected to the accident, according to Rolling Stone.
Before that reunion, Torrence used his USC training outside the spotlight. Rolling Stone reported that he founded the graphic design firm Kittyhawk and created album covers for artists including Chicago, the Beach Boys, Steve Martin, the Supremes and Michael Nesmith.
Beach Boys ties run deep
Torrence also recalled the duo’s connection with the Beach Boys. He told Rolling Stone that hearing “Surfin’” pointed Jan and Dean toward songs about beach culture, cars and surfing rather than standard teen romance.
He said Jan and Dean welcomed the idea of working with another nearby vocal group from Hawthorne and quickly recognized Brian Wilson’s talent. The Beach Boys learned Jan and Dean songs for shared shows, according to Torrence, and the two acts’ paths soon became closely linked.
Rolling Stone reported that Torrence now spends most of his time at his Southern California home, though he still plays occasional shows. He also told the magazine he hopes Jan and Dean will one day be recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.