While Dennis Wilson was a member of one of the most successful music bands in the 1960s, he could have been more successful in his marital relationships and love life.
This article is entirely based on former Dennis Wilson Wives and their tumultuous relationship with the legendary drummer of The Beach Boys.
Dennis’s surfing ability set him apart from other Beach Boys band members, and his life reflected the idyllic “California Myth” that inspired the band’s early music.
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Four Dennis Wilson Wives Before His Death – Kids And Family
On December 4, 1944, Dennis Carl Wilson was born as the second child of Murry Gage Wilson and Audree Neva Wilson.
During his childhood, Dennis Wilson lived with his parents, Murry and Audree Wilson, and his brothers Brian and Carl in Hawthorne, California.
Dennis Wilson married Carole Freedman, and they had a daughter named Jennifer. Additionally, they adopted Carole’s son from a previous relationship, named Scott.
Sadly, their relationship lasted only two years, from July 29, 1965, to October 3, 1967.
In 1969, The Beach Boys Drummer married Barbara Charren, for whom he wrote the songs “Lady” and “Barbara.” The former couple had two sons named Michael and Carl.
Dennis Wilson married Actress Karen Lamm twice, first in 1976 and then again in 1978. Karen was previously married to Robert Lamm, the keyboardist of the band Chicago.
Wilson was romantically involved with Christine McVie, a member of the band Fleetwood Mac for three years shortly after the failure of his third marriage.
Dennis Wilson was still technically married to Shawn Marie Harris, although they were separated when he passed away. They also had a son named Gage Dennis, born in 1982.
Harris asserted that she was the daughter of Dennis’s first cousin and fellow band member, Mike Love, but Love denied her claim.
Dennis Wilson Legal Issues And Tragic Death
Now that we’ve talked about Dennis Wilson’s wives let’s talk about his struggles with addiction and long-running legal problems for several incidents.
In 1978, Dennis Wilson was arrested for allegedly making an underage girl drink and take drugs after his Arizona Concert.
The Beach Boys Drummer mentioned in an interview that he was a victim of a “setup” and had to pay $100,000 as legal fees.
There was speculation by Gregg Jakobson that Dennis Wilson possibly had ADHD that went undiagnosed.
As per Steven Gaines, the biographer, Dennis Wilson confided in his friends about being sexually assaulted by a “black man,” but the details provided by Dennis were incongruous.
Dennis struggled with substance abuse, specifically alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, before his tragic death.
In the final year of his life, Dennis Wilson’s ability to speak typically had greatly diminished. He experienced difficulty singing and playing the drums, often resulting in his absence from Beach Boys performances.
In January of 1981, Carolyn Williams, who was Brian Wilson’s girlfriend and also a nurse, accused Dennis Wilson of persuading Brian to buy nearly $15,000 worth of cocaine.
Dennis drowned at Marina Del Rey three weeks after his 39th birthday while attempting to recover his ex-wife’s belongings from his yacht that had been thrown overboard during their divorce after drinking all day.
According to Michael Hunter, a forensic pathologist, Dennis likely suffered from a shallow-water blackout before his passing.
He was buried at sea off the coast of California, where the Beach Boys played his song Farewell, My Friend at the funeral on January 4, 1984.
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