The Beach Boys are one of America’s most popular bands. Although they went through several lineup changes throughout their career, they released a staggering 29 full-length albums.
The group is officially still active and was the subject of a recent Disney+ documentary titled The Beach Boys. With directors Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny at the helm, this project took a closer look at its formation, initial days, rise to stardom, and everlasting legacy. To date, nine musicians have been a part of this band: Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, David Marks, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Ricky Fataar, and Blondie Chaplin.
Brian Wilson, who is currently 81, battled with drug addiction in his youth. From 1964 to 1979, he was married to Marilyn Rovell. Following their divorce, he married Melinda Ledbetter in 1995. With her, he has five adopted children: Daria Rose, Delanie Rae, Dakotah Rose, Dylan, and Dash. In 2016, he released his autobiography titled I Am Brian Wilson. Due to his mental health issues, he canceled several in 2019; however, in 2022, many famous singers attended his 80th birthday celebrations. Ledbetter died earlier this year at the age of 77, and recently, his family filed for his conservatorship. 82-year-old Mike Love wrote a memoir titled Good Vibrations in 2016. Furthermore, he has been married five times and has over seven children.
81-year-old Al Jardine married Mary Ann Helmandollar and authored a children’s book titled Sloop John B: A Pirate’s Tale in 2005. In 2016, he went on tour with Brian Wilson for the 50th anniversary of the hit Beach Boys album Pet Sounds. Bruce Johnston, who is now 81, collaborated with The Weeknd in 2022 for the song “Here We Go…Again.” He also worked with the country music duo LoCash.
What happened to Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson?
Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston are the only active members of The Beach Boys. Per People Magazine, the group formed in 1961, and their first lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, as well as cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Unfortunately, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson’s lives met tragic ends.
Dennis Wilson, 1944-1983
Dennis Wilson was born on December 4, 1944, and was the middle child of Murry and Audree Wilson. While his brothers Brian and Carl were actively interested in singing from the start, Dennis didn’t showcase his musical talents until the age of 14. Furthermore, in the 1978 book The Beach Boys and the California Myth, his mother revealed that he was the last of her three boys to participate in music. She stated, “[He] was the last one to really participate. He started playing the piano when he was 14 . . . and all of a sudden, he was playing boogie-woogie.” Initially, Mike Love and Dennis Wilson didn’t want him to join the band. After his mother continuously forced them, they gave in.
Wilson played a huge role in The Beach Boys’ success. Nonetheless, his drug and alcohol proved to be an issue for the rest of the band. They soon told him to leave, making him pursue a solo career. In 1977, he released his only full-length album, Pacific Ocean Blue. His personal life was also unpleasant. He married five times, had several children with his wives, and once even dated Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. He also struck a friendship with the cult leader/criminal/musician Charles Manson and let him and his group live at his home. Mike Love once stated, “Dennis was all too happy to allow Manson and his girls to move in, use his charge cards, take his clothes, eat his food, even drive his Mercedes.” This was a terrible decision because the musician lost close to $100,000 and had no other choice but to move out.
Love even revealed that his cousin felt guilty about introducing Manson to producer Terry Melcher. Melcher reportedly lived at the Tate home before the Tate–LaBianca murders. Wilson died on December 28, 1983, by drowning at Marina Del Rey. A few months later, the U.S. Coast Guard buried his body at the sea.
Carl Wilson, 1946-1998
Carl Wilson was the youngest of the Wilson Brothers. He was born on December 21, 1946, and joined The Beach Boys as a teenager. Just like his brothers, his part in the band’s success is immense. In a 1982 interview with Guitar.com, he revealed how Brian Wilson made him, their mother, and Mike Love rehearse music. He said, “Brian would make me, my mom, and Mike sing the harmonies he had figured out.”
Even after Brian Wilson departed from The Beach Boys, he continued producing and composing songs with them. In the 80s, he also left the band and pursued a career as a solo musician. He released albums such as Carl Wilson and Youngblood; however, he rejoined the band in 1983.
On February 7, 1998, he died at the age of 51 after suffering from complications of lung cancer. From 1966 to 1982, he was married to Annie Hinsche, and from 1987 to 1998, to Gina Martin.
