The Beach Boys were one of the most profoundly influential bands of the mid-20th century.
They all but invented the 'California sound', a musical aesthetic that capitalized on the
wide-eyed, sun-shiny optimism associated with teen life in Southern California in the 1960s.
It was a sound that was often conflated with the so-called Californian myth, AKA an idyllic
setting that drew inspiration from the Golden State's beach culture.
The Beach Boys are said to have pioneered the style with the release of their debut
single 'Surfin' way back in 1961.
Their original lineup consisted of Brian Wilson and his brothers Dennis and Carl, along with
their cousin Mike Love and close friend Al Jardine.
They got their start as a garage band, but their sound quickly evolved after the success
of that first hit single and the release of their 1962 freshman studio album Surfin' Safari.
Owing to their signature sound and broad appeal to the youth of the day, The Beach Boys were
one of the few American rock groups that managed to sustain their commercial success throughout
the British Invasion.
In 1966, they released what would ultimately be remembered as their best album, Pet Sounds.
In fact, to this day, the album is still considered one of the best pop-rock albums of all time.
By the late 60s, however, the group's commercial success had begun to decline, and their de
facto leader Brian Wilson began to distance himself from the group to focus on his solo
efforts.
At the same time, Wilson battled mental illness and substance abuse issues that would take
a major toll on his well-being and professional momentum.
From 1964 to 1976, Wilson opted out of touring with the band, while ceding creative control
over to his brother Carl.
Since then, Wilson has rejoined the band's lineup periodically but has taken numerous
breaks from touring and recording over the years.
After Carl took over, The Beach Boys were widely dismissed by members of the music press.
Even so, albums with Carl at the helm as the group's leader have still enjoyed a cult following
among Beach Boy's fans.
Throughout the Beach Boys' storied career, several deaths have shaken up the band's lineup
and trajectory.
Dennis Willson passed away in 1983 in a rather tragic way.
Then in 1998, Carl died from cancer.
While never considered a full-fledged member, American keyboardist Billy Hinsche performed
with The Beach Boys for many years before passing away in 2021.
In this facts-packed video, we'll be taking a look at how these deaths nearly tore apart
The Beach Boys.
As of 2022, while The Beach Boys are still touring, next to none of its original members
are still involved.
In fact, the only Official Beach Boy to still perform with the group is Mike Love.
Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, while still alive, have declined to play with the band that helped
launch their musical careers and transformed them into International icons.
The first Beach Boy death that we'll be addressing today is that of Dennis Wilson.
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Dennis Wilson
While the Beach Boys projected an image of being avid surfers who were essentially kings
of the beach, the only Beach Boy who actually surfed was Dennis.
In fact, he is the one credited with suggesting the theme for the group's first single, Surfin',
in 1961.
Dennis primarily played drums while providing backing vocals for the band.
His percussion and vocal work can be heard on many of the band's hits despite the fact
that there was a pervasive rumor going around back in the day suggesting that he was replaced
on studio recordings by other professional musicians.
Initially, he hardly ever had any lead vocals on the band's singles, but his popularity
and prominence as a singer-songwriter led to him enjoying increased presence on the
band's recordings - especially following the release of their 1968 studio album Friends.
Dennis' music was characterized for its perceived edginess while showing off his happy-go-lucky
charm.
Some of his stand-out songs with the band included 1968s Little Bird and 1970s Forever.
It's also been claimed by his friends and several biographers that he was the unaccredited
songwriter on the 1974 hit You Are So Beautiful.
Dennis' Involvement With The Manson Family
In 1968, Dennis was passing through Malibu when he saw two young female hitchhikers on
the side of the road, Ella Jo Bailey and Patricia Krenwinkel.
He ended up picking the two vagabonds up and dropping them off at their intended destination.
A few days later, he noticed the girls hitchhiking once again.
This time around, he took them back to his house at 14400 Sunset Blvd.
He later recalled telling them about his association with the spiritual guru known as the Maharishi.
In turn, they told him about their own guru, a man by the name of Charlie Manson, who had
just recently been released from prison after being incarcerated for some 12 years.
Later that evening, after hitting up the studio for a scheduled recording session, Dennis
was greeted in his driveway by Mr. Manson.
When he walked into his house, nearly a dozen or so people were occupying his humble abode
– the majority of whom were young, attractive women.
These folks would later come to be known as members of the infamous 'Manson Family'.
You probably know all about how their story played out.
At first, Dennis was intrigued by Manson and his minions of easily-influenced followers.
He even referred to him as 'The Wizard' in an interview published in Rave magazine around
this time.
The two quickly struck up a friendship and over the following several months, various
members of the so-called Manson Family cohabitated at Dennis' home.
Throughout their stay, Dennis reportedly spent nearly 100 grand on them to pay for their
living expenses, cars, clothing, and repeated doses of penicillin to treat venereal diseases.
To put that into perspective, in today's figures, adjusted for inflation, that sum would be
equal to about three-quarters of a million bucks.
Dennis and Charlie worked on music together – and while he didn't consider him to be
a phenomenal musician, Dennis still learned a lot from Manson and considered some of his
musical ideas to be novel.
While he ended up giving away a substantial chunk of his wealth to the notorious hippie
cultists, Dennis claimed to have gotten a lot out of the deal.
He said that his interactions with the Manson Family resulted in him finding happiness and
spiritual fulfillment.
His bandmates, however, weren't very pleased by Dennis' newfound obsession with Manson's
devotees.
They lamented that he was essentially giving away all of his hard-earned cash while letting
it get squandered by lavish living and frivolous pursuits.
They tried numerous times to expel him from the band, but each time, he managed to stick
around to see another day.
Dennis' final years were turbulent, to say the least.
Much to do with association with Manson's drug-fueled, psychedelic, and violent cult,
Dennis found himself struggling with mental illness, substance abuse, and alcoholism.
On top of all of that, he ended up bankrupt and dependent on his friends for help.
This only exacerbated his already strained relations with The Beach Boys.
By 1983, the musician was homeless, hopelessly addicted to cocaine and heroin, and essentially
useless as a band member.
While recording his second solo album, Bambu in 1983, Dennis drowned at Marina Del Ray,
shortly after discharging himself from a rehab facility.
He had spent the whole day drinking before diving into the marina to recover his ex-wife's
belongings which had been thrown overboard from his yacht three years prior.
He was only 39 when he died.
Carl Wilson
In 1998, just one year after announcing that he had been diagnosed with brain and lung
cancer, Beach Boys co-founder Carl Wilson died in a Los Angeles hospital.
He was 51 at the time of his death.
Just two months earlier, Carl's mother, Audree died.
He was survived by his wife Gina and his two sons, Jonah and Justyn.
Carl was the youngest of the three founding Beach Boy Wilson brothers.
Throughout his tenure with the band, he was always known as the stable one, in stark contrast
with the off-the-wall antics of Brian Wilson who suffered from severe mental illness, and
the hard partier and Manson Family enabler Dennis.
Carl's voice was often featured as the lead, and after Brian Wilson descended into his
own inner turmoil, he became the de facto leader of the group for many years.
The previous summer before his death, Carl had toured with the band after undergoing
a round of chemo.
After his death, The Beach Boys were left with no other Wilson in their lineup, as Brian
had stopped touring back in the 80s and only occasionally makes sporadic appearances with
the band.
Billy Hinsche
In the 60s, Hinsche was a member of the band Dino, Desi, and Billy.
Later on, he would serve as keyboardist for The Beach Boys' touring band.
As an interesting side note, Lucie Arnaz' late ex-husband Desi's brother, Desi Arnaz
Jr, was also a member of the Dino, Desi, and Billy band.
Billy was born in the Philippines in 1951.
In 1965, after his family moved to the US, settling in Beverly Hills, he formed Dino,
Desi, & Billy after meeting Desi Jr and Dean Paul Martin at Loyola High School.
He joined The Beach Boys as a session musician in the late 60s and proceeded to tour heavily
with them.
He would continue to perform with The Beach Boys on-and-off until 1996.
Throughout his decades-spanning musical career, he would also provide backing vocals for artists
like Elton John, Warren Zevon, and Joan Jett among others.
Hinsche lost his battle with lung cancer on November 20, 2021.
Sadly, on the very same day, his mother, Celia Hinsche, also passed away.
Billy was 70 years old when he died.
The Beach Boys were one of the most groundbreaking and influential rock bands in American musical
history.
Their music will continue to live on long after the deaths of the group's members.
Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Mike Love are still alive and continue to
be active in the music industry, but only Love continues to keep The Beach Boys' name
alive.
Who was your favorite Beach Boy, and which band member's death do you think most significantly
impacted the band's success?
Let us know in the comments section down below.
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