What happened to Brian Wilson’s brothers? Carl and Dennis Wilson’s tragic deaths explored amid Beach Boys singer’s passing 

The recent death of Brian Wilson, the founding member of The Beach Boys, has brought some attention to some of his brothers, especially Carl and Dennis Wilson.

Both Carl and Dennis were crucial to the band’s rise to fame, but they were also met with early tragic deaths. As Brian’s fans grieve the loss of the 82-year-old, there has been a renewed interest in the death of his brothers.

Dennis, the youngest of the Wilson brothers and the only real surfer in the Beach Boys, was a daring and jolly person. Yet his life was marked by turbulence. According to People Magazine, a heavy drinker and something of a rebel, he was known for battling addictions and financial problems.

The sea he loved, the landscape that had inspired songs like Pacific Ocean Blue, became the cause of his premature demise. On December 28, 1983, at the age of 39, Dennis Wilson drowned in Marina del Rey, California, when he went to fetch items he had thrown overboard from an old boat of his.

Some reports indicated that his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. His death was ruled accidental drowning, and the band was devastated by the loss.

Carl Wilson, the middle brother, was the heart of The Beach Boys. His velvety voice grounded the hits God Only Knows, and he seized the leadership role when Brian withdrew from touring in the mid-1960s. Carl was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997. He died on February 6, 1998, at 51, despite receiving treatment, as per The New York Times.

More about the band's response to Dennis Wilson’s death

Dennis Wilson was buried at sea on January 4, 1984, shortly after sunset, with full military honors by the U.S. Coast Guard. This unique recognition for a civilian was authorized by special permission of President Ronald Reagan.

This ocean burial was in keeping with Dennis’s final request. His wife, Shawn Wilson, said that she thought he would have been happy with the ceremony:

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"That's what Dennis wanted done with his body. Wherever he is, I know he'll be glad that we're doing it," she said, according to United Press International archives.

The Beach Boys, who lived, responded in a variety of ways. After the funeral, they rallied at co-manager Tom Hulett’s home to raise a toast in Dennis Wilson’s memory. But according to People Magazine, not all of its members supported the burial at sea. Carl Wilson had supposedly intended Dennis to be buried with their father at Inglewood Cemetery, and Brian Wilson later said the burial “seemed wrong”.

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