DENNIS WILSON, THE REAL BEACH BOY
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Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy
Jon Stebbins
He was the embodiment of the sun-drenched California dream, a sandy-haired sex symbol that sparked a cultural tidal wave—surfer, lover, drummer, Beach Boy. His life was a short, brilliant, intoxicating ride that inevitably curled into a torturous spiral of addiction and despair. Profoundly gifted but destructively wild, Dennis Wilson was dead at age 39, drowning quietly while his influence made millions for others. Volumes have been written about the troubled past of Dennis’s older brother, Brian Wilson, and his amazing impact on the history of popular music, but this book tells for the first time the staggering tale of the freewheeling brother who fired Brian’s imagination and permanently influenced the Beach Boys’ sound, style, and attitude. While Brian stayed in his room, brother Dennis hurled himself at life with an unquenchable lust for action. From surfing teenager to drag-racing daredevil, from his legendary sexual appetite to his chilling friendship with mass murderer Charles Manson, this biography follows the hair-raising trail blazed by the real Beach Boy.
230 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2000Book details & editions
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Jon Stebbins
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Author 40 books243 followersFollowJanuary 26, 2008
The other day I found out that PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE, the great 1977 solo CD by Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, will be re-released finally in a new two-CD format with rare tracks from its uncompleted follow-up BAMBU. Next to SMILE, POB is hands-down the best Beach Boys solo CD and probably one of the five great albums anyone associated with them ever produced. The news of the release—15 years after a one-off CD release went out of print, itself 14 years after the LP disappeared—made me give a quick skim to this book. John Stebbins is a huge BB fan and deserves kudos for keeping DW interest running—he organized a successful Beach bash back in 03 to memorialize the 20th anniversary of DW’s death. That said, this book isn’t a great biography, which is unfortunate given both the complexity of its subject and the bizarre cast of supporting characters (including, famously, Charles Manson). The inner-torments that led DW on such a destructive life (drugs, booze, etc) are sidestepped in favor of his musical and charismatic contributions to BB history—probably as a way of lending balance to the more sleazier takes on the backstory. That said, there seems room for a nice balanced view of the guy that isn’t apologetic or an autopsy, but this ain’t it. Oh well. I’d have like to seen more interviews with surviving ex-s and kids, friends, etc., but maybe people were tightlipped. Double oh well. Stebbins will contribute liner notes to the POB rerelease. I imagine I’ll read them more often than I do this book—unfortunately.Show more
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203 reviews4 followersFollowApril 9, 2015
“One day you’re fourteen with a bike and a root beer, the next day you’re a multi million dollar conglomeration with hundreds of people depending on you. I just always wanted to have a good time.”
The above quote from Dennis, in the forward of this wonderful book probably explains at least part of the reason for his eventual downward spiral.
The people that he thanked in the forward for providing him with information looks like a “who’s who” of the Beach Boy world. His interviews started with all of the Beach Boys themselves.
His work is greatly respected in the Beach Boy world. As of today, April 9 21015, an updated version of this book is in the works and could be released within the year.Show more
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37 reviews5 followersFollowFebruary 5, 2013
Heartbreaking, but very intriguing and honest. A tragic story about the rise and fall of a great but troubled star.
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19 reviews6 followersFollowJuly 7, 2012
One of the Beach Boys’ under-rated treasures was one of their rare a’ capella songs titled ‘A Young Man Is Gone.’ It told the tragic tale of the all-too-brief life, and very sudden death of actor James Dean.
Beach Boy founding member Dennis Wilson – the middle child of the three Wilson brothers – lived quite a bit longer than James Dean, but their stories are similar.
Dennis LOVED life, he loved people, and he only knew how to live life in one gear – overdrive. He WAS the ‘beach boy’ in the Beach Boys – without Dennis coming out of the ocean to tell Brian and the rest of his family and friends what he was feeling and experiencing, there would have been no Beach Boys. Brian would still have become the musical genius he is, but the world would know his work by a different name.
Dennis began his musical career with virtually NO formal musical training. He was anointed the BB’s drummer by default when Audree Wilson insisted to Brian that he include Dennis in his new group.
By the end of his life, Dennis had blossomed as a musician and a songwriter/producer, emerging out of Brian’s shadow, but his pedal-to-the-metal lifestyle and decades of substance abuse caught up to him and snuffed out his bright light much too early.
This book is a must-read for ardent Beach Boy fans everywhere. Meticulously researched and masterfully narrated by Jon Stebbins.Show more
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943 reviews14 followersFollowJanuary 20, 2014
I really wanted to read a biography not a cometary. Very stilted writing – a laborious read. Gave up long before the book was finished even though I was interested in the subject.
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13 reviewsFollowMarch 26, 2021
Awesome read. Sad story. He wasn’t always perfect but he had a big heart His talent wasn’t recognized when he was young,he had to deal with terrible things growing up,that didn’t get closure. My heart broke for him with the more I read. I have the Pacific Ocean Blue CD and it is awesome. I listen to it often. I have DVDs of some of their concerts and I cherish them all. RIP Dennis Wilson I hope you know even all these years later you still have a big influence on people. You are a legend
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41 reviews2 followersFollowOctober 2, 2012
This is another one of those fan boy written tomes where the information presented within far outweighs the quality of the writing. Dennis Wilson was almost as much of a genius as his brother. That’s the opinion the author states repetitively in almost every chapter. We do get to read plenty of interesting anecdotes and behind the scenes details. The author tends to glorify anything and everything Dennis Wilson though, so I’m somewhat skeptical about some of the tales told. All in all an enjoyable read that will make you with the author was less of a dork.
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17 reviews14 followersFollowMay 2, 2013
Better photos would have made it a more interesting read…
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