Dennis Wilson is a former member of The Beach Boys, brother to Brian Wilson, one of the most influential rock guitarists of the late 20th Century, and now a touring guitarist for the group Chicago. On the first day of October 2010, it will be 35 years since Wilson participated in one of the most surreal moments in American musical history. On November 4, 1970, Wilson showed up at the Surf City rehearsals of The Beach Boys and made his presence known by saying "Sugar Ray" to the band. According to his brother, Brian Wilson, Wilson was not known as "Sugar Ray" until after The Beach Boys finished the recording sessions for their next album, 15 Big Ones. I am very proud of that because that was just kind of an accident. Brian was really into the Beatles and that’s how it happened: Brian heard a Beatles song, didn’t remember the name of it, and that’s how it got started. —Mike Love in the new book “In the Blink of an Eye.” The first few sessions for “15 Big Ones” were a struggle for the group. In May 1969, The Beach Boys' manager, Murry Wilson, who had been living with their mother, Murry's aunt, since December 1967, found them in a house that he owned in Santa Monica and helped them find a new place to live. This was the house that is depicted in the book and documentary movie about Murry Wilson called The Wrecking Crew. Wilson was a popular figure in the music business and was often referred to as a “mentor.” However, he left an indelible mark on more than a few careers by being a manipulative and ruthless agent, getting some people addicted to drugs. For most of his life, Murry Wilson was in and out of alcohol treatment, jail and rehab. As the sessions progressed, Wilson became ill. His symptoms included vomiting and a persistent cough. In November 1969, Wilson was admitted to hospital after suffering a hemorrhage in his esophagus. Murry Wilson had been hospitalized several times in the past due to alcoholism and was close friends with Robert Downey Sr. at that time, so he had gotten the brothers admitted to what would have been Downey’s medical facility. Robert Downey Jr. made reference to this while promoting his film, Sherlock Holmes (2009). So we were going to Sherwood Forest [the studio], Brian got sick, and he was put in a medical wing. And when we came in, we found out there were a couple of patients who were dead, and when we found out who they were, it was really disturbing because they were… Robert Downey and his dad. So I was thinking, “You know, it’s quite a coincidence to lose two people. There were many who lost people.” —Mike Love in the new book “In the Blink of an Eye. “ According to Dennis Wilson, the doctors said Wilson had leukemia. This was all news to the Wilson brothers. Wilson had been on medication for what some people refer to as a "mild" form of leukemia but in later years was to learn the truth. It was the same thing Wilson had received while in the army, when he was stationed in Korea. His symptoms had subsided while he was in the military, and after he returned to the United States, they returned. With time, he was determined to beat his illness with heavy doses of chemotherapy. Wilson became an activist for alternative methods of treatment, including the use of vitamins. As I told John Bonham during our appearance on Parkinson, after I’d gone to his shows with Mike and we met, he wanted to put me on to a doctor in Malibu who was not only using vitamins and natural alternatives, but this doctor, Dr. Linus Pauling, won a Nobel Prize. That’s how I got into vitamins, and my story is out there. I’m not putting out the message that I think everybody should be taking these or they’re miracle drugs, I’m just saying what worked for me. —Dennis Wilson in “In the Blink of an Eye.” Wilson did have a chance to work with Dennis Wilson on a few songs for 15 Big Ones. However, the majority of the work for the album was done without Dennis Wilson. Wilson's presence was felt, and as the Beach Boys recorded more songs without him, and continued to promote The Beach Boys’ music during the summer of 1969, fans were left wondering what happened to Dennis Wilson. Dennis would return on October 7, 1969, but only as a member of The Beach Boys. In this March 9, 1969, article in Billboard Magazine, when they said that Dennis Wilson wasn’t playing a part in The Beach Boys music, that’s when I decided to quit.” After suffering a miscarriage in the summer of 1969, Wilson took some time to recuperate, then continued his studies at L.A. Valley College to become a teacher. This lead to an encounter with future band mate Bruce Johnston. “I was doing some recording with the Beach Boys and one day I was having lunch with Bruce Johnston in the studio and I saw him looking at a pile of pills and I said, ‘What are you taking?’ And he said, ‘Dexedrine.’ He had one of his own little pills and we started talking and he said, ‘You know, if you take just one pill a day you’ll really get to like them. They’re so much fun.’ And I said, ‘Bruce, I’m down $250 a week in drugs.’ But I asked him if he ever used it when he was going to gigs, did he ever get high, and he said, ‘No. It’s just for when we get up at night and sing the blues. I want to stay up and play my guitar, but I want to do it at a normal pace.’ That’s when I quit, because I found out you could control the speed. So now I was down $250, and there were these drugs that were just laying around there. So I quit. It made me feel great, but it really hurt [the Beach Boys]. That was the lowest point of my life.” Back in 1969, Wilson’s future wife and former schoolmate Debbie Wilson was playing with Dennis Wilson. She introduced him to a friend of hers and future wife, Suzanne, who went by the stage name “Susan Rogers.” They fell in love, but a wedding date was never set. The Beach Boys were busy promoting the Summer of Love. To an outsider, the band seemed like they’d finally found themselves with the help of the LSD, but in reality, they were still dealing with the same problems. As well as creating a new sound, The Beach Boys were also selling it. In 1964, the band decided to start their own record label, Brother Records. The brothers made six successful albums, which did not do as well as previous material, but would have a profound effect on the future of The Beach Boys' career. In 1967, however, after it was discovered that the brothers had been producing albums for other bands and were making royalties for doing so, the band was asked to stop. There was always a strong, family feeling about The Beach Boys. Brian was never comfortable in his role as the leader of the band. His older brothers, Dennis and Carl, were more likely to take charge. There was an internal fighting that went on in the band. It was just like we had a great family and we had kind of gotten away from each other, if you know what I mean. We all had our problems. All of us. There were things in Dennis’ life that were causing problems for him. And it was all because he was my brother, and the way he reacted and was a lot like an older brother. It was just like brothers should react. —Mike Love in the new book “In the Blink of an Eye.” The Beach Boys' version of “Little Deuce Coupe” from “Pet Sounds,” is considered by many to be their crowning achievement. However, upon the completion of the album, Capitol Records refused to release it, opting to release the band's version of "Sloop John B" instead. The Wilson Brothers This is where the story gets really interesting. It all started with a song called "Sloop John B." I was working on the song for the Beach Boys, and what happened was, before it was done, I got a call and I think it was my brother Dennis. He said, “We’re recording a track on Carl’s new studio that he’s got in his garage.” I said, “You mean the thing we were working on at your house?” He said, “No, in his garage. We’re recording a track on that.” I said, “What’s the track?” He said, “It’s called ‘Sloop John B.’” I