For Dennis, who saw homeless people as equals.

I discovered Simon On The Streets from Stalking Horse's cover of Dennis' Beach Boys song Morning Christmas (from anthologies Leeds fundraising album This Christmas) and saw examples of unconditional support & love for people others reject or ignore, the same thing Dennis (like his brother Brian Wilson) greatly needed & felt supporting them was a way of giving back some of the love I felt from his music & giving other people a chance of getting the help he didn't.

Amongst the beauty, chaos, music & self-destruction of his life, people who knew, worked with and were close to him also remember his generosity, giving things and money away to people who needed it more and encouraging others to do the same. 

Dennis struggled with addiction, alcoholism & emotional/behavioural problems including the effects of the trauma of abuse & anxiety and was himself homeless near the end of his life. 

There's too many stories of friends/colleagues seeing him during his last months and mistaking him for "a bum" or "creepy street creature" and continuing to blank him after they realised who it was. 

Scott Wilson in his & Karen Powell's book Son Of A Beach Boy - 
“I remember when Dad lived in Venice with Shawn. We used to walk to the liquor store and without fail, Dad would stop and giveaway money or cigarettes. He always had to give something to the homeless.
He could never just walk past them like they were invisible like so many other people did.” 

Ben Edmonds on his times spent with Dennis - 
"Though my contact with Dennis was fleeting, it was enough to understand his profound gift for making each person he encountered feel they were the centre of his universe. On one of our meal breaks, he stopped to talk with a homeless man and gave him everything that was in his pocket. “I like to spread the wealth around,” he said ". (from Mojo Magazine)

"He never failed to find something in his pockets for the homeless we’d encounter along the way, and he made me do the same. “Cough it up!” he’d command. “You work for Capitol Records, don’t you? Well, I helped build your ****ing office!” " (From Pacific Ocean Blue deluxe edition cd sleeve notes).

I was inspired to start this page today by #DoItForDenny , a campaign by Induct Dennis Wilson to positively remember him & his big heart on the anniversary of his death (28th December)  via carrying out random acts of kindness & supporting charities.

I'm working on a fanzine for Dennis & his music and his place in The Beach Boys, and will be donating all profits from copies sold to this charity. Issue 1 is available now & issue 2 should be out in June (Pre-orders now available)..

https://denniswilsonzine.tumblr.com
https://jenna-appleseed.itch.io
https://ko-fi.com/dwzine
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