
Dennis died in 1983 following a battle with drug and alcohol addiction, and Carl passed away from lung cancer in 1998. In the interview, band-member Brian Wilson revealed that he still grieves over the loss of his brothers.
How many children did Carl Wilson have?
Wilson is survived by his wife, Gina, and two sons, Jonah, 28, and Justyn, 26, Dutch said. Times staff writer Jean Merl and the Associated Press also contributed to this story. Robert J. Lopez is an accountability reporter for the Los Angeles Times, with a special focus on underserved communities.
Are the original Beach Boys still playing together?
When they return to America, original members Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks will no longer perform with the group. At that point, the “Beach Boys” will once again consist of Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and their longtime backing band that includes Love’s son Christian, Randell Kirsch, Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill and Scott Totten.
How many children did Dennis Wilson have?
Wilson married musician and music producer Robert Bonfiglio in 2000. They have daughters Lola, born in April 2005, and Luciana, born in June 2009. How many children did Dennis Wilson have? The band is In Bloom. Had four children. Daughter, Jennifer Wilson, was born in 1967, sons Michael Wilson on 19 February 1971, Carl Wilson on 31 December ...
Is Dennis Wilson related to Brian Wilson?
Dennis Wilson, brother of Brian Wilson, was a co-founder of The Beach Boys; Charles Manson, on the other hand, is perhaps the most famous (certainly the most infamous) cult leader in American history. On his orders, Manson's followers -- the "Manson Family" as they were known ...
What happened to Dennis Wilson?
On December 28, three weeks after his 39th birthday, Dennis drowned at Marina Del Rey after drinking all day and then diving in the afternoon to recover his ex-wife's belongings, previously thrown overboard at the marina from his yacht three years earlier amidst their divorce.
Did Dennis Wilson marry Mike's daughter?
Dennis Wilson began dating the illegitimate daughter of his bandmate/cousin, Mike Love. The couple eventually married and were in the process of separating when Wilson died.
Is Carl Wilson dead?
February 6, 1998Carl Wilson / Date of death
Who is Carl Wilson's wife?
Gina Martinm. 1987–1998Annie Hinschem. 1966–1982Carl Wilson/Wife
Who is Dennis Wilson?
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson.
When did Wilson die?
Sessions for a follow-up, Bambu, disintegrated before his death. In 1983, Wilson drowned at age 39. In 1988, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beach Boys.
What song did Dennis Wilson write for the Beach Boys?
Dennis continued writing songs for the Beach Boys' subsequent albums, including Sunflower (1970), which featured the single " Forever " and three other songs written by Dennis. Their inclusion was said to be at the insistence of the label, which claimed that his songs sounded more contemporary than other rejected Beach Boys tracks. On December 4, 1970, Dennis released his first piece of solo material, an obscure single released only in Europe and the UK under the credit "Dennis Wilson & Rumbo". The single featured " Sound of Free ", on his usual theme of freedom, on the A-side with the romantic " Lady " (also known as "Fallin' In Love") on the B-side. The song was later covered by American Spring and released as the B-side to their single "Shyin' Away". Biographer David Leaf wrote that, by this time, "Dennis was constantly quitting [the band] or getting fired and then rejoining."
What was Dennis the Menace's role in the Wilson family?
Dennis' role in the family dynamic, which he himself acknowledged, was that of the black sheep. According to neighborhood friend David Marks, Dennis' "raucous behavior" inspired other kids to nickname him "Dennis the Menace". Out of the three Wilson brothers, Dennis was the most likely to get beaten by their father.
Where was Dennis Wilson born?
Childhood. Wilson's Hawthorne High School yearbook portrait, 1961. Dennis Carl Wilson was born on December 4, 1944, the second child of Audree Neva (née Korthof) and Murry Gage Wilson. He spent his family years with his brothers Brian and Carl and their parents in Hawthorne, California.
What was Wilson's first song?
See media help. Wilson's first major released composition was " Little Bird ", issued in April 1968 as the B-side of the " Friends " single. The outro of "Little Bird" interpolates a reworked melody from Brian's unfinished 1966 composition " Child Is Father of the Man ", originally intended for Smile.
What song did Wilson play on Pet Sounds?
His drumming contributions on Pet Sounds (1966) were limited to the track " That's Not Me ". During the Smile sessions, he played on " Vega-Tables ", " Holidays ", and " Good Vibrations ". Van Dyke Parks, the project's lyricist, credited Wilson with inspiring the name of the would-be album track " Surf's Up ".
What happened to Dennis Wilson?
Dennis Wilson death cause. Since November 1983, the musician was homeless and living a nomadic life. He stayed in a therapy centers for a few days and then in hospitals to treat wounds. However he always discharged himself a started drinking again.
Why did Dennis drown?
In December 28, three weeks after his 39th birthday, Dennis drowned at Marina Del Rey after drinking all day and then diving in the afternoon to recover his ex-wife’s belongings. Previously thrown overboard at the marina from his yacht three years earlier amidst their divorce.
How deep is the ocean for Dennis Wilson's funeral?
The ship stopped in an area about 183 meters deep, the minimum required by American law for such funerals.
Where was Reagan at Christmas?
The afternoon the death of the musician was revealed, Reagan was at his California home during Christmas and New Year’s break. When the president learned of the accident with Dennis, according to Craig Fuller, a cabinet assistant, he asked his advisers to do everything possible to help the family.
Who opposed the funeral ceremony?
Brian Wilson and Brother Carl were opposed to the ceremony. Some time later, letters sent by the White House to the Coast Guard showed gratitude for the institution’s swift action in arranging funeral procedures in a short space of time.
Did Dennis get expelled from the Beach Boys?
In the mid-1970s, he bought Harmony, a luxury residence boat, and lived in it for years. Irresponsible and spender, he was expelled several times from the Beach Boys.
Did Dennis play any instruments in the Beach Boys?
Also if he hadn’t suggested the theme for the first single of the band, “Surfin ‘”, maybe the Beach Boys wouldn’t even exist. At first, Dennis didn’t play any instruments, but in a few weeks he learned to play ...
Who brought Dennis Wilson to the hospital?
Steve Goldberg, a close friend who had brought Dennis to the hospital, did his best to calm him down. Inside the hospital, Chris Clark, another buddy of Wilson’s, was on the phone, trying to convince Dr. Michael Gales to readmit Wilson, an alcoholic and drug abuser, to the hospital’s detox unit, from which the Beach Boy had checked out earlier.
How old was Dennis Wilson when he was beaten up?
But in the end, he had nothing. It was almost midnight on Christmas day, 1983, and Dennis Wilson ’s head was a bloody mess. The thirty-nine-year-old Beach Boy had been beaten up by a male friend of his estranged wife — nineteen-year-old Shawn Love Wilson — at the Santa Monica Bay Inn.
Where did Dennis Wilson live?
In 1980, Dennis rejoined the Beach Boys and began to tour again. By the beginning of 1981, Wilson and McVie had split up. Dennis moved into a house in Venice Beach with his seventeen-year-old daughter Jennifer and some other friends. “Things got real bad,” said Steve Goldberg, who was also living at the house.
What was Dennis Wilson's alcohol level?
Toxicological tests showed Wilson’s blood alcohol level to be 0.26 at the time of death — more than twice the legal limit for driving.
How many children does Wilson have?
He is survived by four children: Jennifer Beth, by his first wife, Carole Freedman; Carl Benton and Michael Dennis, by his second wife, Barbara Carol Charren; and Gage Dennis, by his last wife, Shawn. Wilson’s relationship with actress-model Karen Lamm was by far his craziest.
How long did it take Wilson to get out of the water?
Wilson came out of the fifty-eight-degree water after twenty minutes; back on the dock, he was shivering and his teeth were chattering. He sat in front of a heater inside the cabin. His friends brought him towels, and after about fifteen minutes, he stopped shaking. He ate another sandwich and had another drink.
When did Charles Manson move to Sunset Boulevard?
In 1968, Charles Manson and his “family” moved into Dennis’ Sunset Boulevard home. By then, Dennis had divorced his first wife, Carole Freedman, and was participating in orgies and other debauchery under Manson’s direction. During this, period, he also tried heroin for the first time.
How did Wilson die?
Wilson died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, on February 6, 1998.
Where was Carl Wilson born?
Early years and success. Carl Dean Wilson was born the youngest of the three Wilson boys in Hawthorne, California, the youngest son of Audree Neva (née Korthof) and Murry Gage Wilson.
What guitar did Carl play in high school?
Turning 15 as the group's first hit, " Surfin' ", broke locally in Los Angeles, Carl's father and manager, Murry (who had sold his business to support his sons' band), bought him a Fender Jaguar guitar.
Why did Carl and the Passions lose their leadership?
After producing the majority of Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" (1972) and Holland (1973), Carl's leadership role diminished somewhat, due to Brian's brief public reemergence and because of Carl's own substance use problems. Carl (left) with Bruce Johnston and Roy Orbison in 1979.
When did Carl Wilson start solo?
Concurrently, he spent several years challenging his draft status as a conscientious objector . During the 1980s, Wilson attempted to launch a solo career, releasing the albums Carl Wilson (1981) and Youngblood (1983).
What song did the Beach Boys sing in the 1980s?
Wilson frequently performed that song and "Rockin' All Over the World" (from the same album), as well as "Heaven" from the 1981 album, at Beach Boys' concerts in the 1980s. "Heaven" was always announced as a tribute to brother Dennis, who drowned in December 1983.
When did Beckley Lamm Wilson release Like a Brother?
The Beckley-Lamm-Wilson album, Like a Brother, was finally released in 2000, and Carl's late recordings continue to appear. Brian's album Gettin' in Over My Head (2004) features Carl's vocal from the unreleased Beach Boys song "Soul Searchin'", with new backing vocals recorded by Brian.
How did Carl Wilson die?
Carl Wilson, a founding member of the Beach Boys, whose music helped define the Southern California lifestyle, has died from complications of lung cancer , the band’s publicist said Saturday. He was 51. Wilson died Friday in Los Angeles with his family at his side.
When did Carl Wilson leave the Beach Boys?
In the early 1980s, Carl Wilson said he tired of the Beach Boys’ focus on nostalgia and lack of musical growth. He left the group in 1981 and released a solo album that year.
What song did Carl Wilson sing?
Throughout his nearly four-decade career, Wilson was known for his sweet-sounding voice on such songs as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice ” and his stabilizing presence during the band’s sometimes tumultuous history. “Carl Wilson could sing anything.
Who was the tiller in the Beach Boys?
“Carl was like a rock for the group. He was the steady one. He was the tiller,” said Sandy Friedman, executive vice president of Cowan and Rogers, who was the Beach Boys publicist from 1975 to 1992.
What was the alcohol level of Wilson?
Toxicological tests showed Wilson’s blood alcohol level to be 0.26 — more than twice the legal limit for driving.
Who was Dennis' wife?
At the time he also adopted Carole’s son, Scott. He then married second wife, Barbara Carol Charren in 1970. With her he fathered two children: sons Carl Benton and Michael Dennis. They divorced in 1974. Dennis married third wife, actress-model Karen Lamm in 1976 only to divorce her the following year.
How old was Shawn Love when she married Dennis?
At the time of their marriage, she was 18. Shawn Love and Dennis produced son, Gage Dennis. They were separated at the time of his death. Shawn insisted that her husband be buried at sea; it was only with the intervention of then-President Ronald Reagan that the at-sea burial was allowed.
Where did the Beach Boys drown?
The middle of the three brothers, drowned on December 28, 1983, at age 39, in Marina del Rey, California. Dennis –who was the only serious surfer in the Beach Boys –co-wrote a song with Manson called “Never Learn Not to Love” which the Beach Boys eventually recorded. Manson along with some of his female followers stayed in Dennis’s house in ...
Did Carl Benton have children?
Dennis married third wife, actress-model Karen Lamm in 1976 only to divorce her the following year. They were married a second time in 1978, which lasted until 1980. The couple did not have any children.

Overview
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. Dennis was the only true surfer in the Beach Boys, and his personal life exemplified the "California Myth" that the band's early songs ofte…
Childhood
Dennis Carl Wilson was born on December 4, 1944, the second child of Audree Neva (née Korthof) and Murry Gage Wilson. He spent his family years with his brothers Brian and Carl and their parents in Hawthorne, California. Dennis' role in the family dynamic, which he himself acknowledged, was that of the black sheep. According to neighborhood friend David Marks, Dennis' "raucous behavior" ins…
Early career
The Wilsons' mother, Audree, forced Brian to include Dennis in the original lineup of the Beach Boys. In 1960, Dennis began taking drum lessons at Hawthorne High School. Teacher Fred Morgan later said that Dennis had been "a beater, not a drummer" and "a fast learner when he wanted to learn." According to Brian, "We kind of developed into a group sort of through the wishes of Dennis. He sa…
Manson association
On April 6, 1968, Wilson was driving through Malibu when he noticed two female hitchhikers, Patricia Krenwinkel and Ella Jo Bailey. He picked them up and dropped them off at their destination. On April 11, Wilson noticed the same two girls hitchhiking again. This time he took them to his home at 14400 Sunset Boulevard. He recalled that he "told [the girls] about our involvement with the M…
Two-Lane Blacktop
From August 13 to late October 1970, Dennis shot his parts for the Universal Pictures road movie Two-Lane Blacktop. The film depicts "The Driver" (James Taylor) and "The Mechanic" (Wilson) driving aimlessly across the United States in their 1955 Chevy, surviving on money earned from street racing. It made its worldwide premiere on July 7, 1971, in New York City. The film received mixed reviews but later gained stature as a "cult classic".
Solo career
Dennis continued writing songs for the Beach Boys' subsequent albums, including Sunflower (August 1970), which featured the single "Forever" – commonly regarded as one of his finest songs – and three others: "Slip On Through", "Got to Know the Woman", and "It's About Time". Their inclusion was said to be at the insistence of Warner-Reprise, who felt that Dennis's songs sounded more contemporary than other rejected Beach Boys tracks. "Slip On Through" became t…
Final years and death
In succeeding years, Dennis abused alcohol, cocaine and heroin. Following a confrontation on an airport tarmac, he declared to Rolling Stone on September 3, 1977, that he had left the Beach Boys: "They kept telling me I had my solo album now, like I should go off in a corner and leave the Beach Boys to them. The album really bothers them. They don't like to admit it's doing so well; they …
Artistry and legacy
PopMatters writer Tony Sclafani summarized in 2007:
By all appearances the happy-go-lucky Beach Boy, Dennis Wilson lived out the proverbial live-fast-die-young motto. To some degree, that's a fair assessment. Dennis did indeed drive fast cars, hang with hippies (including Charles Manson) and dated his share of beautiful California women. But like his older brother Brian, Dennis was bullied mercilessly by his father. His wild side maske…