Dennis Wilson was born in Hawthorne, California in 1944 to Audree and Murry Wilson. The middle of three brothers, Dennis was rebellious and argumentative; he often acknowledged that he was the Wilsons' "black sheep." He joined America's band, The Beach Boys, when his mother pushed his brothers to let him play with them, although at first he refused to take part in it that way. The Beach Boys fell into trouble in the 1970s, a direct result of Dennis' spiral into heavy drug and alcohol use. He accidentally drowned in December 1983, leaving a wide fan base and an even wider legacy.