The least talented Wilson brother at the beginning of the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson later matured into an excellent songwriter, producer, and vocalist. Though he only released one LP before drowning at the age of 39, his assortment of heart-rending ballads and pop curios were major assets to the Beach Boys' late-'60s and early-'70s output. Dennis delivered his first lead vocal on a Beach Boys hit with 1965's "Do You Wanna Dance." He began writing his own songs during the late '60s, after the Beach Boys' '60s peak, a few for each Beach Boys' album, often tender ballads flaunting his gruff voice and emotionally naked persona. His solo album, 1977's Pacific Ocean Blue, charted inside the Top 100, higher than either of the Beach Boys' next two LPs. A projected second solo work never materialized. Wilson drowned in December 1983 while diving around his boat in California. ~ John Bush