Wilson, Dennis

Dennis Wilson was born December 4, 1944 in Hawthorne in the family of Merry and Audrey Wilson. His brothers were Brian and Karl Wilson , and Mike Love was their cousin - they all became members of The Beach Boys, a group organized by their father in 1961. It was Dennis Wilson who inspired the group on the beach theme related to surfing - he was the only member of The Beach Boys who was involved in this sport. The main duties of the musician were playing the drums, as well as vocal parts.

In 1968, he met musician Charles Manson . At one time, Manson and his "family" lived in Wilson's mansion; Manson himself hoped that Wilson would help him build connections in professional music circles. In collaboration with Wilson, the song “Never Learn Not To Love” was written, which was recorded by The Beach Boys and included in the album “ 20/20 ”. A year later, Manson was convicted of organizing a massacre in Hollywood .

Since the late 1960s Wilson began to take a more active part in the writing of the ensemble's songs, gradually accumulating material for his own solo album (Pacific Ocean Blue, 1977).

In the early 1970s. Wilson temporarily retired from The Beach Boys (the duties of the drummer in the group were performed by Ricky Fataar and Mike Kowalski). On December 28, 1983, while diving in the Marina del Rey Bay, while drunk, Dennis Wilson drowned. The body of the musician, with special permission, was buried at sea.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame already posthumously (in 1988).

• Pacific Ocean Blue (1977) and reissue of Pacific Ocean Blue & Bambu (2008)