He was a singer-songwriter and musician born in Inglewood, California who was the brother of Chris and Brian Wilson. He was a founder member of The Beach Boys but only included due to the insistence, to Brian, of his mother, Audree.
He was the only real surfer in the family and urged on by Mike Love, his older cousin, he was the one that suggested that they form a proper group and use surfing as a musical subject along with the Southern Californian way of life.
Although he matured and his abilities as a musician grew they were put to one side as Brian liked to use session drummers, but he was the most popular member of the group and known as a Box-Office sex symbol. Although not given too many lead vocals he sang them on “Do You Wanna Dance?” and then was given great reviews on his covering of John Lennon’s “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”.
From 1968 he became their second most important composer. From 1971-1974 he could not drum due to a hand injury and became a front singer with Mike Love which caused some tension according to Al Jardine.
After there was a three year hiatus his voice deteriorated due to a possible injury in 1974 and alcohol abuse. In 1974 he resumed on the drums. Charles Manson was his protege and lived with him prior to the murders and this affected him for the rest of his life. He refused to testify at the trial as he was “so scared”.
Venturing into acting he starred in the film Two Lane Black-Stop as “The Mechanic” with James Taylor and Warren Oates and also produced a solo album called Pacific Ocean Blue where he collaborated with Daryl Dragon from The Captain and Tennille.
His alcoholism became worse and at the Super Bowl in 1981 he was beaten up by his cousin and an ex-employee of Brian’s.for sharing drugs with his brothers. This damaged his vocal chords further and he to have operations to remove polyps that had formed as a result.
He drowned on 28th December 1983 aged 39 in an alcohol-related boating accident at Marine Del Ray in Los Angeles. He left behind his wife Shawn Love who is the alleged illegitimate daughter of Mike Love and their son Gage. He had been married three times previous to Carol Freedman with whom he had a daughter Jennifer and an adopted son, Scott, Barbara Cherren, who whom he had sons Michael and Carl, and to Karen Lamm who was the ex-wife of Robert Lamm of Chicago. He was buried at sea off the California coast.
Beach Boy Recordings
Wendy (Brian Wilson)
Livin’ With a Heartache (Carl Wilson/Randy Bachman)
Little Honda (Brian Wilson/Mike Love)
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