On December 28th, 1983 Dennis drowned in Marina Del Rey, California just weeks after his 39th birthday. Friends who were there the night the song was written have gone on record claiming that Dennis contributed integral portions to the song, but that he refused to be credited, explaining that he was вЂњjust helping a friend out.вЂќ Dennis went on to perform the song at nearly every Beach Boys show, starting in 1975, and told numerous people that he indeed did co-write the song. In recent years, it's come to light that Dennis' greatest success was in co-writing the Joe Cocker hit вЂњYou Are So BeautifulвЂќ with Billy Preston in 1974, for which he did not receive a credit. In 1977, he became the first active Beach Boy to release a solo album, called Pacific Ocean Blue.

Sadly the mainstream press has always gravitated toward his brief time knowing Manson and turbulent personal life than his 15 years as a working songwriter. His personal life was less successful, including five failed marriages and a year-long friendship with the infamous Charles Manson. Most of Wilson's unfinished 1971 solo album, tentatively titled, Poops / Hubba Hubba, was finally released as part of the Beach Boys' 2021 critically acclaimed box set, Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969 -1971.

Songs such as вЂњLittle Bird,вЂќ вЂњBe Still,вЂќ вЂњCelebrate The News,вЂќ вЂњBe With Me,вЂќ вЂњForever,вЂќ вЂњCuddle UpвЂќ вЂњOnly With You,вЂќ and вЂњBaby Blue,вЂќ rank among the most revered of the band's catalogue. In the late-1960's, while older brother Brian Wilson slowly retreated from the group in a haze of mental illness and drug abuse, it was Dennis' songs on albums such as Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Carl & The Passions вЂ“ So Tough, and Holland that kept the band's artistic vision advancing. For most of his life, Dennis was overshadowed by his older brother Brian, who wrote most of the group's hits, and by his younger brother Carl, who sang lead on songs such as вЂњGod Only KnowsвЂќ and вЂњGood Vibrations.вЂќ As a youngster, Dennis was considered the least musical of the Wilson brothers, but it was his idea for Brian and cousin Mike Love to first write about surfing which resulted in their 1961 debut single вЂњSurfin'.вЂќ It was the Wilson's mother Audree who urged the group to include Dennis, who was then forced to play drums because, according to legend, he couldn't play anything else.Дennis' good looks and powerful live drumming provided the group with a much-needed boost in the wake of the вЂњBritish Invasion.вЂќ Brian Wilson often used direct instances from Dennis' life as the foundation for Beach Boys songs, including вЂњFun, Fun, Fun,вЂќ вЂњLet Him Run Wild,вЂќ and вЂњSurfin' U.S.A.вЂќ Dennis sang lead on the group's 1965 remake of Bobby Freeman's вЂњDo You Wanna Dance.вЂќ He began contributing songs to Beach Boys albums beginning with their 1968 album Friends, and everyone in the group was surprised at the spiritual quality of his work. Saturday (December 4th) marks what would've been the 77th birthday of Beach Boys co-founder and drummer Dennis Wilson.

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