THE Beach Boys

Dennis Wilson, the only real surfing enthusiast among The Beach Boys, drowned on 28 December 1983 during an incautious dip in the Pacific Ocean from his boat moored in Marina del Rey, California.

He had celebrated his 39th birthday a few weeks earlier and was a strong swimmer, but by all accounts was somewhat incapacitated by alcohol when deciding to enjoy a swim. 

Dennis had often been inclined towards wild behaviour, and in 1971 had put his hand through a plate glass window, resulting in serious injuries that prevented him from playing drums for some time.

South African Ricky Fataar of Flame, the group assigned to Brother Records, the label launched by the Beach Boys, replaced him, playing as a Beach Boy for three years (and later appearing as a member of The Rutles in the spoof TV documentary All You Need is Cash).

Dennis Wilson himself had a brief flirtation with the cinematic art, co-starring with James Taylor in Two Lane Blacktop, a 1971 art movie. In 1977 he was the first of the Beach Boys to release a solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, which was a minor chart hit in the USA. 

In 1982, he fathered a son named Gage by Shawn, the daughter of his Beach Boy colleague Mike Love. He had previously married Karen Lamm, ex-wife of Robert Lamm of Chicago, in 1976.