Why Dennis Wilson Should Be In The Rock Hall

Thank you for joining our humble efforts to see that Dennis Wilson is recognized for his solo work by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  While Dennis is technically inducted as a member of the Beach Boys the purpose of this project is to have him honored as a solo artist based on his album Pacific Ocean Blue, which has a cult following and is nothing short of a masterpiece.  So what makes Dennis eligible for the Rock Hall?

The criteria for the RRHOF per their own site is such:  Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.    

Dennis definitely meets the 25 year release requirement.  The singles “Lady” and “Sound of Free” were released in the UK in 1970, and his solo album Pacific Ocean Blue was released in 1977.  But those are formal requirements, what about the more subjective requirements?

Dennis has a story and a mystique worthy of Rock Hall honor.  Dennis began his impact on music by giving the Beach Boys their identity and encouraging Brian to write about surfing, a fact not mentioned during their painfully short induction by Sir Elton John in 1988.  He was the lone surfer of the group and gave the otherwise wholesome band their edge.  While the Beach Boys were singing about surfing, racing cars and winning the girl, Dennis was out there actually doing those things at full throttle.  He was the handsome rogue with a heart of gold, a man who suffered through abuse and an underdog who lived in the shadows of his brothers.  He lived like a man who knew he was on borrowed time and crammed 80 years of living into a mere 39 years.  Everything Dennis did was 100% and frantic, there were no half measures and not a shred of caution.  He resented chains and broke the rules, even in death. Federal laws prohibit anyone other than veterans to be buried at sea, but Ronald Reagan made an exception for Dennis.  What could be more badass or rock and roll than having the President break the law for you?

He fought against being labeled as just another untalented pretty face and ended up creating one of the most beautiful and mysterious albums ever made.  He rose above the label of mediocre pretty drummer to a sensitive, soulful song writer and experimental musician.  He was beautifully wild and untamed, much like a climbing rose that from afar looks comprised solely of beautiful flowers, but upon closer inspection contains turbulent sharp branches with the ability to draw pain. With a simple hair toss he could make the girls scream, with a boyish grin from the stage he could charm the room and with a few earnestly raspy notes he could make you cry.

As much as he was a charismatic sex symbol, he was also gentle, sensitive and painfully unsure of his talents despite everyone recognizing how special he was.  Jerry Schilling (Beach Boys’ manager in the early 1980s) said, “Dennis’ music to me was hauntingly beautiful. That’s almost a contradictory term. Just talking about his music right now I can hear his music immediately. That tells the longevity and how powerful it really was. The haunting part that you could hear through his music… The troubled soul that he had. To talk about Dennis is pretty heavy.”  Daryl Dragon said of Dennis, “Dennis was physically so strong. Yet when he played the piano, it was as gentle as a child petting a kitten. That amazing sensitivity came out…Every note was like a morsel: unbelievable. That’s why I always compare him to Wagner."

The combination of his rebel spirit, immense talent and incredible humility makes him beloved by fans in a way that has surprised even myself when I created this campaign.  We recognize that he was an vulnerable underdog, that he was in pain and that he was open and honest with that pain in a way that most artists couldn't or wouldn't be.  Dennis stated that if you wanted to know who he was to listen to his music, and how can you have anything but immense respect for an artist who is brave enough to expose their pain and fears for the world to hear?

We invite those affiliated with the Rock Hall to browse the site, read about Dennis and see the fan reactions.  Dennis is beloved, Pacific Ocean Blue is a work of art and both are worthy of the Rock Hall.