On this day in 1983: Having made two successful dives below a friend’s yacht to find items he’d drunkenly thrown off his own boat three years before, drummer and co-founder of The Beach Boys Dennis Wilson took one last dive into the Pacific and never returned from the boat moored in Marina Del Rey, California. With the help of President Reagan he was given a burial at sea, normally reserved for Naval personnel. Dennis was the only genuine surfer in The Beach Boys.
Here’s what was happening on the U.S. singles chart on this day back in 1983:
1 1 SAY SAY SAY –•– Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (Columbia)-11 (3 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 SAY IT ISN’T SO –•– Daryl Hall & John Oates (RCA)-9 (2)
3 5 UNION OF THE SNAKE –•– Duran Duran (Capitol)-8 (3)
4 7 OWNER OF A LONELY HEART –•– Yes (Atco)-8 (4)
5 3 ALL NIGHT LONG (All Night) –•– Lionel Richie (Motown)-15 (1)
6 4 UPTOWN GIRL –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-14 (3)
7 6 LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD –•– Pat Benatar (Chrysalis)-14 (5)
8 9 TWIST OF FATE –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-8 (8)
9 11 UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT –The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-7 (9)
10 18 BREAK MY STRIDE –•– Matthew Wilder (Private I)-15 (10)
11 19 I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES –•– Elton John (Geffen)-9 (11)
12 20 TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP –•– The Romantics (Nemperor)-12 (12)
13 10 CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND –•– Culture Club (Virgin)-10 (10)
14 15 MAJOR TOM (Coming Home) –•– Peter Schilling (Elektra)-14 (14)
15 12 CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE –•– Quiet Riot (Pasha)-15 (5)
16 16 SYNCHRONICITY II –•– The Police (A&M)-8 (16)
17 27 KARMA CHAMELEON –•– Culture Club (Virgin)-4 (17)
18 8 ISLANDS IN THE STREAM Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton (RCA)-18 (1)
19 13 WHY ME? –•– Irene Cara (Geffen)-10 (13)
20 17 IN A BIG COUNTRY –•– Big Country (Mercury)-10 (17)