Dennis Wilson

The dark horse of the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson was a founding member of the influential pop-rock group along with his brothers Brian and Carl, as well as its drummer and occasional vocalist for over two decades. Initially a reluctant member of the group, it was Wilson who suggested that Brian pen a song about his favorite sport, surfing, as the Beach Boys' debut single. He became a key member of their trademark harmonies, which underscored a string of chart-topping paeans to sun and young love, as well as the group's resident heartthrob. As the Beach Boys blossomed into more complex fare with the release of Pet Sounds in 1966, Dennis Wilson grew into his own musician, eventually penning quiet little pop gems like "Little Bird" and "Be With Me" that could stand alongside Brian Wilson's epic and elaborate rock symphonies. But he was undone by drug and alcohol use, which robbed him of his voice and his standing within the group. His 1977 solo effort, Pacific Ocean Blue, was his first and final attempt at establishing himself as an artist in his own right. The gorgeous, melancholy album would be his only completed effort before his death by drowning in 1983. Wilson's unrealized potential, combined with the snippets of brilliance he showed before his death, made him a figure both tragic and celebrated in the complex tapestry of the Beach Boys' history.