Good Morning America - Death of Beach Boys Drummer, 12/83

[Jody07984]

Could the pick a more unflattering picture?

[webster1251]

A sad precursor to Carl's early death a decade later. I wish the good performers would stop killing themselves.... (exclude Carl from this point). Dennis' loss was great but Carl's signaled the end of the Beach Boys.

[Aldebaron9]

I drove by Marina Del Ray a couple of hours later after spending the day at Venice. I wondered what all the traffic was about. It was said that he bumped his head on the bottom of the or a boat. That was the rumor around the south bay that day. I was living in .... ummm, the Lomita area then... ya know... around.... ummm.... Nar-bone street........ I mean, ya know... below Rolling Hills, etc...

[scarface12347]

it wasn't like he drowned like people normally do. when the divers found him on the bottom he was in the fetal position, almost like he was sleeping.

[cbarrett34]

dennis was drunk, and threw a lot of his possessions off his boat. he was diving to retrieve them, and didn't come up the third time

[GentleBen02]

@cbarrett34 that wasn't his boat he was diving off of. The boat he was diving off of belonged to a friend of his. Dennis' boat was repossessed before this incident.

[cbarrett34]

@GentleBen02 good point, very true. however, the friends boat was docked at the same slip that dennis' old boat, "The Harmony" was docked at and Dennis was diving to pick up things he had thrown off his old boat when he was pissed off or drunk or whatever. Things that had been at the bottom of the ocean there for quite awhile, even though the water was only around 13 feet deep. He was just free diving, holding his breath, which is pretty dangerous even if you're not drunk.

[tommyrock69]

Really? Did they have to show his covered corpse being led from the pier? 

Even by today's standards that is terribly tacky.

[bulgarinjunaci]

I miss you Danny, i miss you Carl, thank you for all emoctions

[PawtucketPatriot66]

Driniking and swimming don't mix Dennis.

[audiotransparent]

Pacific Ocean Blue is a masterpiece...

[tommyrock69]

@audiotransparent Agreed. He made the single most heartfelt solo album of any of the Wilsons.

[Aldebaron9]

@tommyrock69 too bad his "solo" effort was kinda.... well.... not the best.... no offense to my fave. Beach Boy. Charlie's buddy.

[ihp0ts]

wow...so this is how a 1983 morning feels like

[wetigaz]

"a drowning accident"... as if something went wrong whilst he was drowning

[spacepatrolman]

@wetigaz He hit his head under the boat but they didnt mention that

[flgal88]

The day the music died

[bass4onelastfriday]

How could this be a good morning in America?

[oscee09]

I got goosebumps watching this. I remember this like it was yesterday. Dennis was my favorite Beach Boy. 

[harvey1954]

83 was a really crap year with Dennis dying at the start and Karen Carpenter dying near the end. Both were California acts that played drums and sang and played with brothers.

[neostriderbzk]

@harvey1954 Sonic Youth did a nice homage to Karen, citing Dennis in the way...

[titaniascharms]

@harvey1954 hey man! My brother was born that year and if you ask my parents that was the best year of our lives!!

[Kalle72]

It's like poetry, that Dennis would die in the Pacific Ocean. Even if he died young or could have died in 30 years, he will always be immortal.

[mynameisnotcory]

I read brian's book...he mentioned this...scary

[SLB161991]

@mynameisnotcory What was the name of the book?

[MegaVideogirl99]

@StingRayNet I was thinking that he might of swam up, hit his head on the boat, became un-concious and drown. :(

[crietman29]

- Makes me sick to see his body in that bag. I miss him.

[moontheloon518]

@crietman29 makes me sick to see his body in a bag too. I do MISS HIM!!!  :(

[CosmicFork]

Everyone pretty much knew that Dennis wouldn't live to a ripe old age... He was too wild, too free, to die some wrinkled old man in a nursing home somewhere! But, that was what everybody loved about him. Dennis was not only an avid surfer and sailor, he was a great artist too. His solo album "Pacific Ocean Blue" is a really interesting album, and it's not just derivative of "The Beach Boys". It's too bad he didn't complete the follow-up album "Bambu" but, that damn substance abuse got him!!!

[wingobingo]

Let's not go mad he was the worst drummer ever!! But a great singer & a great egg & still sorely missed. Rip hugs

[Youtoo2128]

It's still sad to hear this 30 years later.

[StingRayNet]

How do you drown in 12 ft of water esp if your a Beach Boy? His death sounds "fishey" to me. Dennis could sure play those drums......Dennis and Carl...RIP.



[MattHatter]

Why God....why?

[blinko7777]

Loved the Beach Boys forever, thank you in a strange way but thank you for the upload..

mike