Remembering Beach Boy Dennis Wilson [VIDEO]

This Sunday, December 4th, marks what would have been Dennis Wilson's 67th birthday.  Dennis was overshadowed by brothers Brian and Carl, but in later years fans and critics have come to appreciate his considerable musical gifts.

Dennis recorded a solo album titled 'Pacific Ocean Blue' in 1977.  The album had been out of print for years before a reissue in 2008.   If you can find a copy, it is well worth picking up.  The music is excellent.

Dennis Wilson was the true Beach Boy in the band.  He enjoyed the surfer lifestyle, and it was actually his idea for brother Brian and cousin Mike Love to write songs about surfing.  The rest as they say, is rock and roll history.  Dennis' drum work also provided a solid foundation for the band's early hits.

His troubled life has been well documented through the years.  Dennis died on December 28th, 1983 by drowning as he was diving off a boat in Marina Del Rey.  Check out a video of Dennis with the Beach Boys performing 'Do You Wanna Dance' and below it, a video of a song Dennis wrote titled 'Forever'. That song shows the true talent of Dennis Wilson not only as a songwriter, but as a vocalist: