The Smiley Smile Message Board

And yet, it still seems like yesterday somehow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tokxcbu_Uo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tokxcbu_Uo)

Damn. I was just about to post that!


Out of all the Beach Boys, Dennis has had the biggest influence on me, even though I'm not a drummer lol.
His songs are just superb, and he is the definition of cool IMO.
I only wish I was around during his lifetime.

R.I.P. 1944-1983

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY6MZfvu_sE

Aye, remember hearing the news. Had been in the Lake District and returned a few days after the accident to be met by my girlfriend who, innocently, told me Brian had died. No Internet then of course but checked the local paper and learned the truth. I was 19, not yet seven full years into my fandom, but by chance had owned POB, found in a bargain bin, for a couple of years, and appreciated that the band's remaining potential creative force was gone (unless Brian could ever pull it out if the bag…). Trust winter to snuff out the light…

Man, that footage of him on the stretcher....there are no words for it.  :( Dennis had been gone for a little over a year when I was born, but I miss him like he was a good friend. Dennis, I hope wherever you are, you're at peace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpW2NLY6q8

I went to breakfast that morning at BOB"s big boy and bought a LA times and DW was on the front page.. I was in a daze for the rest of the day..

 :'( this is a sad day...I was reading the 1978 chapter of the book and got sad, and as I read on I got sadder and sadder.  The BB are over for me after 1983 with the exception of the 50th anniversary.  I said to myself that "my goal is to get up to 1983, after that, we'll see) I am gonna eventually finish it though don't worry.  Denny is the reason why I became a BB fan.  He's so fun to watch on stage, I wish I was alive back then to see him in action  :dennis  :(. r.i.p. Denny, we all miss you.  And guys, keep Brian, Mike, Al, Dave, and Bruce in your prayers, especially Brian. thanks  :)

Dennis is sad enough. But what the f*** happened to the last 30 years? ???

I hope the writers of "The Drummer" will take this opportunity to change the script, starting from the beginning of his life instead of 1977 and I can't wait for the reissue of Mr. Stebbin's "The Real Beach Boy" book to come out.  I love finding out more him and can't wait to read about the stories that don't involve him being drunk on stage or sleeping with another guy's wife.  There was much more to him than that  :) He was a rebel with a huge heart  :angel:.  I love the story about when Dave Marks broke his arm from falling out of a tree and then Denny went and chopped it down, and about the time where Dave and Carl were being bullied by some people at school and Denny pulled up in his car and broke it up  8) he was just too cool  ;D

From the Brit site.


 
In loving memory
Posted on December 28, 2013 at 06:21:08 AM by Billy Hinsche

I had a friend who was very good to me / now he's gone out on the rollin' sea / he took me places that I'd never been / I guess you could say he was my very best friend / he was one in a million - he was Dennis Wilson.

RIP Dennis.

Most people would be daunted by being in a band alongside the greatest pop/rock songwriter of all time, in particular if he was also your own big brother, but not Dennis... He followed his own path and created some of the greatest (and most unique) songs in the group's entire catalogue - occasionally even besting big bro (come on, Celebrate The News is so much more exciting than Breakaway) - and he also wrote some of the most beautiful ballads in music history. Nothing affects me quite like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0C58BUmOE

Yes, I recently have been....well obsessed  :-D with the live version of CTN on the Mike Douglas Show.  he sounds so good on it  :love.  one  thing that upset me was when Mike interviewed them and Denny didn't say anything but 2 or 3 words, and Bruce was doin most of the talking, he talks more than Mike Love  :smash

http://www.wmmr.com/music/news/story.aspx?ID=2102144

Once again, thanks so much Howie.

And it is worth remembering that this was the last day of his life.  The tragedy didn't happen until the sun was almost set, so for the day, it's worth celebrating his life with his music...

Good point, Ed. Thanks for reminding us. :)

Another version of "Holy Man" is awaiting release?  I hope we get to hear that sometime soon.

 :-[ RIP

I thought Mr. Roach was going to come out with some kinda book on Dennis. You know, containing pictures he took of Dennis all those years and the band and stuff. Was that wishful thinking, or is it still on the backburner to come to fruition one day.

Anyway, looking forward to Jon's update.

Hal Blaine talking about that day from this interview: http://willybrauch.de/In_Their_Own_Words/halblaine2000_1.htm (http://willybrauch.de/In_Their_Own_Words/halblaine2000_1.htm)


SE:   Did you think that Dennis was a pretty competent drummer?

HB:   Dennis was a fine drummer.  He was the perfect “Beach Boy” drummer on  stage, shaking his head...  He came along as one the first kids shaking his head, real long hair, beatin’ the sh*t out of drums . . . He broke more drum heads and more sticks . . . it was amazing!

SE:   He was an animal.

HB:   Yeah! People used to say to me, “Doesn’t it bother him that you’re making the  records?” No, he loved it, because he was out doing what he was doing.  He was always on a forty-five degree angle, always in a cast somewhere, always going off a motorcycle, car crashes, it was just amazing, it was almost a death wish, I don't know, He had his boat very close to mine, and the day that that happened, we saw the cops, but we didn’t know what it was.  When you’re on your boat, you're always monitoring Channel 9 or 13, the Emergency Channel, and all of a sudden we hear this call go out for Harbor Patrol and Medics for a man overboard.  You rarely hear that in the marina.  You learn never to dive off of your boat in the marina; only divers go down, wearing the proper breathing apparatus.  You’re not supposed to go diving in the marina [because of all of the “sh*t” that  gets dumped in the water], but I guess [Dennis] dove off his boat and when he came back up, he hit one of the floats, and it knocked him unconscious.  There were all these people up there waiting for him, but he didn’t come back up.  So, then, they finally started to realize that something was wrong, and began looking around and when they didn’t see him, they started screaming for Harbor Patrol on a 911-type call.   And all we hear is “man overboard.”  That was it!  Then it  went like wildfire, “Dennis Wilson, one of the Beach Boys drowned!” Jesus, God help me!  I couldn’t believe it!

Hal's credibility takes a hit...  :(

How so?

Dennis lost Harmony over two years before he died: he was diving from Bill Oster's Emerald.

He is an old man. Memories can get a bit cloudy. It doesn't mean that he didn't hear the calls or that his boat was docked at the same marina.

Yeah, I don't see how Hal's credibility takes a hit either when Oster's "Emerald" was docked in the slip next to where "Harmony" had been anchored, in the same marina where Hal kept his boat nearby and heard the calls, but here's the whole story from a 1984 magazine report:



"A few days before Christmas he (Dennis) checked into the detox unit at St. John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Joe Takamine, who runs the 21-day detox program, said a blood test taken on admittance showed a.28 alcohol level and traces of cocaine. "He told me he was drinking about a fifth of vodka a day and doing a little coke," Dr. Takamine adds. "I put him on 100 mg. of Librium every two hours so he could come down slowly and maybe start the program in five days." On Christmas, however, he suddenly left. He spent that day drinking with a friend. At 3:30 a.m. Dec. 26, he reportedly checked into the Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital but walked out the next day and later met with Shawn. Then he took off again.

His last night alive was spent aboard the 52-foot yawl Emerald, owned by his friend Bill Oster. Dennis was with a friend named Colleen McGovern. The marina once had been home-before he was forced to sell his beloved 62footer, Harmony, in 1980 to satisfy back bills and bank loans. He reportedly awoke by 9 a.m. and began hitting on vodka. "We went rowing in the morning, got some cigarettes, had lunch on the boat-turkey sandwiches," remembers Oster. "Dennis was in a good mood, happy. We were plotting how to buy his boat back." (Wilson's business manager, Robert Levine, had offered to repurchase the boat for him if he went 30 days without drinking.)

By noon a yacht manager, Skip Lahti, 26, who had known Wilson for a couple of years, says, "He was staggering around pretty good." Wilson napped for an hour or so, awoke, then visited Lathiel Morris, a retired friend living in a houseboat near the Emerald's slip. He seemed excited rather than drunk to Morris. "He said, 'I'm getting my boat back,' " Morris recalls. Wilson eyed Morris' 16-year-old granddaughter. Then he complained about his impending divorce. "How many does that make?" Morris asked. "The sixth, I think," Wilson answered. "I'm lonesome. I'm lonesome all the time." Morris adds, "I saw he was with this beautiful brunette [Colleen] and said, 'Ahhh, baloney.' He said, 'We've only been going out a couple of weeks.' "

Morris next saw Wilson around 3 p.m. He had begun diving into the water next to the Emerald's slip, retrieving from the soft bay floor sea-corroded junk that he had thrown off the Harmony when it was anchored there: a rope, some chains, a steel box and, eerily, a silver frame that once held a photo of an ex-wife, model/actress Karen Lamm. "He was in and out of the water, getting a kick out of all the stuff he was finding," recalls Lahti. After diving for about 20 minutes he came out of the water shivering badly, warmed up and ate another sandwich. About 4 p.m. he went back in. "He thought he found a box. He called it a chestful of gold," says Oster. "It was probably a toolbox. He was just being Dennis, entertaining everybody, being his lovable self, goofing around."

About 4:15 p.m. he came up for the last time. "He didn't indicate any problem," says Oster. "I saw him at one end of the slip. He blew a few bubbles and swam to the dinghy very quietly. It was like he was trying to hide. I thought he was clowning. I jumped on the dock to flush him out and then we would all laugh." When Wilson couldn't be found, Oster flagged a passing harbor patrol boat. Meanwhile, Oster, Morris and Lahti frantically searched the deserted docks and nearby bars for Wilson. Lahti, who knew Dennis to be a practical joker, volunteered to dive in, but Oster thought it was a typical "crazy-Dennis" stunt. "I told Bill we'd have surely found him after 20 minutes," Lahti recalls. "Bill said, 'No, he's still joking. He's known to do this sort of thing.' As divers plunged in and probed the bay in the dark, Oster still hoped that Dennis would surface somewhere.

It was about 5:30 when they found Wilson. Four divers had been searching for him and had rigged a long pole to probe the bottom. That was where they found him, directly below the empty slip. Coroner reports called it an accidental drowning" but a fuller toxicological report will be made. "He did drink a lot and had a lot of wild parties," says a shaken Morris, 57. "But he was one swell guy, thoughtful, considerate, even when drinking. I just can't figure out why they let him dive down there. I know it's hindsight now, but he lost his life for nothing."

Thanks for asking; ironically, I just posted something about this, on a Facebook tribute page we'd started on his birthday:  https://www.facebook.com/roachclips68 

There are many of us that have started and/or written books about him, only to not follow through on publishing.  (God bless ya, Jon, for "The Real Beach Boy"!)  For myself, it got very difficult to continue writing once the really painful years began.  However, I do have about 350 pages tucked away, (and that's without photos, which I know is what everyone is really clamoring for me to release).  Every milestone event makes me yearn to complete this, so I've decided to put up a sample chapter sometime after the first of the year, to get everyone's feedback.  I'll be sure to give a link to it here

Oh that's awesome news Mr. Roach I can't wait for it! ;DQ!  does anyone have any update on the rerelease of Mr. Stebbin's book?  :)

The only update is that it's coming soon. Specific release update will be posted in the next week or two. And yes, Ed...please...keep working on it. We'll all be excited to read it, no matter when it's ready. Happy Holidays to you and Annie.

Would this be the "London" version of "Holy Man" that features Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen ?

I CAN'T WAIT!  ;D it's gonna be great  :-D

Dennis Wilson is a good singer and a awesome Surfer!  I know he drowned but some people say that Manson went to the Marina and killed Dennis then he slipped and hit is head on something then drowned.  To me Dennis and his song of Forever lives in my heart

RIP Dennis Wilson the TRUE Surfer of California

Hal says Dennis' boat was very close to his own boat, not exactly next to it. Hal may not have been aware that Dennis had lost it some time ago. I don't know how probable that is, but certainly Hal may have been mistaken some way or another. Well, if I think back to things that happened in 1981-83 I'm not sure I'd get the chronology right.

I just got off of Tumblr and another Denny fan said that people have reported that his ghost hitchhikes up the Pacific Ocean Coast  Highway asking for rides and when people ask what his name is he says "Dennis, I'm looking for my ex- wife Karen"...does anyone on here no anything about that?  :o

Pretty sure that's in Jon's book.

Oh ok then

Calling Mikie for his "troll-be gone" spray as we speak...

Soooo... Charlie snuck out San Quentin without anyone noticing, travelled about 400 miles to the marina, killed Dennis, then drowned an already dead man, then made the 400 mile return journey and snuck back into jail before anyone noticed he was gone. Right ? I see nothing improbable in that scenario.

Okay, so this is the thread where we are honoring and remembering Dennis.  wow

I was 6 years old when Dennis died. I hadn't even heard of the Beach Boys yet. I wish I had the chance to.see him on stage.

Memories.. I saw the BB play 5 times in 1983 ,,The 1st 2 shows Dennis played.. 1} Santa Barbara Ca. Spring 83 BB 1st shows with BW back from Hawaii.. Met Brian Dennis  Al  Bruce  Landy + Dean Torrence.. Very good show DW was On and played the show with some finesse ..All tempos were correct and band sounded really nice.. When I met the guys they were really friendly + gracious + DW was charming.. They all signed my hat + I sang Just Once in my Life with BW.. Before the show..  2} August 83 Costa Mesa TH.. There is some video of this.. The band was HOT + DW was in hjgh gear rockin like a MAD MAN.. BW was out there to runnin all over the place acting like I have never seen before or since.. ENERGY.. Brian + Dennis were on the same wavelength pushin the band.. The other 4 were bewildered and shooting nervous glances back + forth.. I had a sense that it could fall apart at any moment.. But it didn't.. Last time I saw DW play.. 3} BB played Pomona fair couple of nites + I saw one show there..  Brian + Dennis were BOTH there but never went up to play  + from were I was sitting they WANTED to.. Dennis kept wiping his mouth  nerviously and I felt bad.. This was late summer 1983.. In the fall of 1983 BB played 3 Nites at Universal Ampitheatre and I went one night with a BB friend named Ted and the other night with my 2nd wife.. Dennis was missed and the crowd kept yelling loudly WHERE"S Dennis..?? Mike was visibly irritated  and said Dennis is home drying out which wasn't true.. This is the show that debuted Boogies in Town + full version of Its A matter of time..  DENNIS was MISSED and a couple of months later he was gone. I posted this because previous poster never saw DW play + I wanted to pay tribute to his memory.. I am so lucky to have been born when so many great musicians played in their PRIME.. But BB were more special than the rest.. WHY.. They were California boys that sang + still sing like ANGELS  from heaven RIP Dennis

Great posts from so many of our stalwarts on this sad anniversary, the best of which remind us that despite his troubles and struggles, Dennis was--and is--unforgettable.

We can be thankful that 2013 brought us official releases of long-withheld but highly worthy material from Dennis, adding to his legacy.

Jon, I definitely have to get a signed copy of your updated book when it comes out, to companion with my proudly inscribed copy of the first edition.

Ed, if I can be so bold, I'd like to suggest that you consider working with C-Man on a combined project. With your photos and reminiscences, and his tremendously detailed look at Dennis' music, this book, alongside Jon's, would make for an incredible 1-2 punch!

Listening to my Dennis compilation on i-Tunes now...the pre-"Partyized" version of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is playing now. A revealing choice for Dennis to have sung: while he clearly "got" what Lennon was talking about, he didn't subscribe to that notion...he never "hid his love away."

Wow, you were lucky to see Dennis and Brian when you did!  ;D I'd love to read some of your memories of the shows sometime.

Yea me too  ;D

http://www.examiner.com/article/like-heat-from-a-blast-furnace-the-sheer-raw-force-of-beach-boy-dennis-wilson (http://www.examiner.com/article/like-heat-from-a-blast-furnace-the-sheer-raw-force-of-beach-boy-dennis-wilson)
Like Heat From a Blast Furnace: The Sheer Raw Force of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson

This 3,600 word in-depth feature of mine kinda slipped through the cracks, but it features some cool interviews with Mr. Doe, Jon Stebbins, c-man, and Mike Eder about one of their favorite subjects.

I find that quote from Andrew Doe about Dennis and Murry being  alike interesting. I'd like to read more about that.

Many thanks for the link, which is appreciated. That, however, is the last Examiner piece I'll read - reading on an iPhone and every so often it automatically launches iTunes and offers an app for an online gambling site. Crass, cheap and intrusive.

Well if you go to the review section { albums books dvd"s} and look up Good vibrations dvd read my thoughts on 7-3-76 Anaheim stadium.. Its the 1976 Its OK tv  special dvd.. Now that was an event when that was shown on tv..That day was UNBELIVABLE.. The band + the backing band + the horn section was GREAT..!!!!!! One thing that younger people don't realize in the 70"s  + 80"s The audience was SO LOUD singing along that it was hard to hear the band.. !! Im not kidding and there was a time period when there was 4 BB on stage and only AL to do the high part.. Poor guy tryin to do that with the audience doin the whoo whoo at the end of FFF.. Drown him out.! They actually gave up trying to do it + the audience took over.. 50 000 people singin along is quite a memory for me AND the Beach Boys.. All those people doin  that was awesome.. I haven't seen that in years..  I felt vindicated for all the BS I took over listening to Sunflower ETC.. Dennis was awesome that day  + You Are  so Beautiful was the best I ever heard him do it.. He had 50 60 thousand people in the palm of his hand.. Outstanding !!

Thank you Jeremy for the links to all those articles very cool.. Read them all + I enjoyed James Burton"s article also..!

Yes, only problem with that particular theory is that GHOSTS DON'T EXIST. 

Carnie Wilson posted on Twitter that Dennis' third grandson was born at 10:45 p.m. on 12/28.  Appropriately, the little fellow was named Dennis.  Funny how life comes around full circle, huh?

That great news, made my day! May he have the irrepressible spirit and all of Dennis' good qualities. 


He will be surrounded by love and music. :love

:drumroll for Baby Denny! 

That was a great read

Now THAT'S AWESOME NEWS  ;D

Brian's Facebook page confirmed the good news:

"Life goes in a full circle: Dennis' son Michael Wilson and his wife Samantha welcomed their new son DENNIS into the world yesterday, on the 30th anniversary of Dennis' death."

And girls.  ;D

What a wonderful piece of news--the greatest example of precision planning and/or the most felicitious accident in latter-day BB history! Best to child (who is father of the man...) and parents. A belated-- and yet perfectly timed--Xmas gift for the Beach Boys family, friends, and fans!!

And the circle continues... that is wonderful news.

Diaphanous Moiety, John Manning, Mr. Wilson, and Help Me Shady:  Your approval is definitely appreciated regarding the "Like Heat From a Blast Furnace..." DW article. I plan on doing many more Beach Boys features as my career advances, hopefully with my very own retro pop culture news website by 2015!

Your very welcome Jeremy.. Keep us updated with your new projects.!

Sometimes the world really is a wonderful place.

A true Christmas miracle if there ever was one. May he be brought up with love and nothing but the kindest and warmest of friends and family, with his Grandpa's music playing in the background.  :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fKeSrvMu4