The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now
The Morning Show - With Jill Riley

Classic and contemporary instrumentals for Don Wilson of The Ventures -

Classic and contemporary instrumentals for Don Wilson of The Ventures

The Ventures (left to right: Mel Taylor, Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, John Durrill, Gerry McGee) pose for a portrait in the late 1960s.
The Ventures (left to right: Mel Taylor, Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, John Durrill, Gerry McGee) pose for a portrait in the late 1960s. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, via NPR

Like this?

Log in to share your opinion with The Current and add it to your profile.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this song! We have added it to a personal playlist for you.

by Anna Weggel and Jill Riley

January 24, 2022

Don Wilson, the cofounder of the instrumental guitar group The Ventures, has died at age 88.

The Ventures had 14 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 and with over 100 million records sold, they are the best-selling instrumental band of all time. You might know them for their 1960 No. 2 hit "Walk, Don't Run" and the theme song for "Hawaii Five-O." 

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break in honor of Don Wilson of The Ventures, what classic and contemporary instrumentals do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.