Career
He features as lead vocalist on "Don"t Go Breaking My Heart" from Wondermint"s "Wonderful World of the Wondermints"-album, on "I Send Up My Prayer" from Nick Vernier Band"s "Sessions"-album, and on "A Time To Live in Dreams" from Stephen Kalinich"s "California Feeling"-album. In 2012, he toured as part of the Beach Boys 50th Reunion band. In 2013, he was invited to be a counselor at the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas.
Probyn brings a hidden musical element to the Brian Wilson Band that is not unlike what First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jardine brought to The Beach Boys.
He plays guitar, bass, banjo, keyboards, trumpet, French horn, Flügelhorn, various lower brass instruments, and the tannerin (a theremin emulator, featured on "Good Vibrations"), and adds a tenor voice to the harmonic blend. His guitar playing has garnered praise from no less than Eric Clapton, who complimented his slide guitar playing.
He also is a long time Beach Boys fan. To date his fanhood, back in the early 1980s, Probyn placed a classified ad in Los Angeles"s Recycler, pleading that Capitol Records would release the Beach Boys "SMiLE" album.
Little did he know that two decades later he"d be playing and singing on Brian Wilson"s version of that very album.
He founded Valentunes, a music company creating personalized musical Valentine messages, and wrote and recorded 19 songs for a Children"s television Workshop science series. Probyn is also a summer director at Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, and has composed and recorded for several music libraries.
