Billy Hinsche, a longtime collaborator with The Beach Boys, has passed away. He was 70 years old.
Hinsche died on Saturday, November 20, due to cancer, actress Lucie Arnaz, a longtime friend and sister of Desi Arnaz Jr., said in an Instagram post. She also revealed that Hinsche’s mother, Celia, also passed away on Saturday at age 95.
“One of the finest humans, friends, storytellers and musicians, on the entire planet just went home to rest,” Arnaz wrote on Instagram. “Giant cell carcinoma. Only diagnosed a couple weeks ago. It ravaged him like an out of control train.”
“He was my brother, Desi’s, oldest and closest friend. In their rock group from the 60’s, he was Dino, Desi and Billy’s most talented member. He had never stopped working as a musician. Played with every incarnation of The Beach Boys for decades. And, during COVID, performed a wonderful show each and every week from his home in Henderson, NV. called ‘Billy’s Place,” she added. “I urge you to go to his You Tube site and watch them all. They are a history of rock and roll music and stories. Nobody told a story like Billy.”
“We lost a great friend, family member, and forever member of The Beach Boys band on Saturday. We’ll miss him greatly,” Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love wrote on Twitter. “All of us who had the pleasure of knowing him will miss his jovial nature and immense talent and sense of humor. RIP Friend. We Love You Always.”
According to Hinsche’s website, he was born on June 29, 1951 in Manila, the Philippines, and raised in Beverly Hills. He began playing piano at the age of 5, violin at the age of 7, ukulele at the age of 10 and guitar at the age of 12.
He formed a successful pop musical group in the mid-sixties with friends Dino Martin, Jr. and Desi Arnaz, Jr. that was the original “boy band.” The trio was known as Dino, Desi & Billy. He recorded and toured with The Beach Boys as a vocalist and member of the band during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
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