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Brian Wilson founded the Beach Boys in 1961 and was the bands leader, main composer and producer. The other founding members were: Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine. In early 1962, Al Jardine left the Beach Boys and was replaced by David Marks. Al Jardine returned to the band in August 1963 and David Marks left around the same time. In late 1964, Brian Wilson quit touring and after a short touring stint by Glen Campbell, Bruce Johnston joined the band and would stay until 1972 when he quit. In 1971 The Beach Boys was augmented with the addition of Blondie Chaplin and Rick Fataar. Chaplin left The Beach Boys in 1973 and this was soon followed by the departure of Ricky Fataar in the spring of 1975. 1978 saw the return of Bruce Johnston for the completion of the L.A.(Light album) and in 1983, Dennis Wilson tragically drowned.
In 1988 Brian Wilson released his first solo album, and was effectively no longer a member of the band. In 1998 Carl Wilson died of cancer. In 1997, David Marks made a brief return as a member of The Beach Boys touring band, but left again in 1999. Today, the surviving members of the founding Beach Boys are doing there own thing: Brian Wilson (with his band) has pursued a successful solo career since 1998. Al Jardine tours and performs with his son and Brian Wilson’s daughters and has recently toured with Brian Wilson, while Mike Love still tours extensively with The Beach Boys touring band (along with Bruce Johnston)

Profile:

The middle of three brothers born to Murry and Audrey Wilson, in Inglewood, California. Dennis Wilson was a founding member of The Beach Boys - the drummer and backing vocalist in the fledgling group that would become one of the most important bands in the music industry.
Always happier out enjoying life’s rich experiences, he was not judged to be an essential part of elder brother Brian’s home ‘choir’ with younger brother Carl and their Mother. But when the three brothers, along with cousin Mike Love and neighbours David Marks & Al Jardine decided to try their luck as a band, it was Dennis that persuaded them to latch onto the upcoming Surfing craze and write and record the song Surfin’.
Studio outtakes reveal that Dennis had to work hard to meet Brian’s demands for percussion precision in the studio, but his voice added to the rich blend that became the trademark of The Beach Boys. It didn’t hurt the popularity of the group either that he was also the focus of attention for masses of young teenage girls. Although described by some as ‘primitive’, his powerful drumming style pounded out a steady beat for the group in concert. As Brian’s talents and ambition progressed to standards that demanded the skills of crack session musicians like Hal Blaine, Dennis was happy to use the free time to live life to the full - and more.
This lifestyle wasn’t all self-indulgent hedonism; he spent time reading to sick children in hospital without exploiting it as a ‘media opportunity’. He could also give his possessions away to a stranger he met if he felt they needed them. But it was… excessive by normal standards. No thrill too dangerous to seek, no chance encounter too weird to befriend. And it was this abandon that led him into the clutches of Charles Manson. Lured by the easy charms of young girls who were part of the ‘Manson Family’, Dennis was initially captivated by the spell that Charlie cast over any audience. Apparently a man of some talent, Charlie was signed to the group’s Brother Records label and songs written by him were recorded at Brian’s home studio. One track (Cease To Exist) was even recorded by the Beach Boys as ‘Never Learn Not To Love’. In time Dennis tried to rid himself of the ever more extreme Charlie, but threats - even to the life of his son - made this increasingly difficult. Although Dennis had no part in the tragedies of the Manson family murders, the episode was to cast a shadow over the rest of his life.
In the late 1960s as musical fashions changed and Brian relinquished dominant control of the Beach Boys, it was Dennis who remarkably developed into the group’s second most creative force. His compositions and recordings possessed a measured power and dynamism not present in Brian’s delicately-crafted work. On top of that he even starred as ‘The Mechanic’ in the cult road movie Two Lane Blacktop with Warren Oates and James Taylor. He became frustrated by the limitations of group albums as an outlet for his creative energy and so in 1977 he released Pacific Ocean Blue, the most successful Beach Boy solo album until the release of Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE in 2004. A solo tour was planned but did not happen perhaps due to internal group politics. The tensions within the group deteriorated further over the years and led at one point to the irascible Dennis being ‘sacked’ by the rest of the group on a split vote. Turmoil was to be the mark of the rest of Dennis’ life. His consumption of alcohol, chemicals and women reached epic proportions ravaging his once rich voice to a rasp as he chased that elusive something - he never found it. Whilst diving for discarded bric-a-brac at Marina del Ray where his long since repossessed yacht Harmony had once been berthed, the seemingly indestructible Dennis Wilson drowned. On January 4th 1984 the ‘Real Beach Boy’ was buried at sea in his beloved Pacific Ocean.

Dennis Wilson highlights:

This Car Of Mine, Do You Wanna Dance, Forever, Only With You + Pacific Ocean Blue (the whole album)

© GV team 2006