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American guitarist Don Wilson, one of the founding members of the rock band The Ventures, passed away at the age of 88.
The guitarist's death was confirmed by his family to news outlet People. They said that Wilson was surrounded by his four children as he breathed his last on January 22, 2022 in Tacoma, Washington, and died peacefully of natural causes.
The deceased 88-year-old's son Tim Wilson said:
"Our dad was an amazing rhythm guitar player who touched people all over world with his band, The Ventures. He will have his place in history forever and was much loved and appreciated. He will be missed."
The Ventures was co-founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle in Tacoma in 1958.
Having never missed a tour, Don Wilson remained a member of The Ventures until his retirement in 2015. He continued to produce the band's current lineup and also created a 2020 documentary The Ventures: Stars on Guitars with his family members.
Born February 10, 1933, in Tacoma, Wilson is survived by his four children and ex-wife Nancy Bacon.
Don Wilson and his band members served as an inspiration to many rock bands
The band's original lineup was Don Wilson on rhythm guitar, Bogle on bass, Nokie Edwards on lead guitar, and Mel Taylor on drums.
Between 1960-1972, the quartet released 37 albums and became the best-selling instrumental rock band of all time with over 100 million records sold.
The band's most famous song is Johnny Smith's Walk, Don't Run, one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. The band also composed the theme music for the television show Hawaii Five-O.
Their other famous songs include Wipeout and Perfidia. The Ventures are also known for writing songs featured in movies like Dogtown and Z-Boys, Pulp Fiction, Zoolander, and Kangaroo Jack.
Many groups have cited The Ventures as an influence, including The Beatles, Beach Boys, Go-Go's, and even Kiss. Gene Simmons was a fan and George Harrison admired their sound.
In 2008, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described The Ventures as "a quintessential instrumental rock and roll band" on their website. The description states:
"Few bands are as prolific as the Ventures—they released thirty-seven albums in twelve years, many of them thematic. They rocked America in the sixties and went on to lasting international fame and influence."
Eddie Van Halen told news organization Rolling Stone that the Ventures' Pipeline was one of the first songs he learned on guitar. Carl Wilson also remarked that the Beach Boys learned to play the guitar by listening to Ventures' records.
The Ventures recorded instrumental rock covers of other artists' hits, but when they did write their own material, Wilson and Bogle were usually responsible. Wilson also penned the song Love Goddess of Venus, which appeared on The Ventures in Space in 1964.
As for the band members, Wilson was the sole surviving member of The Ventures. Drummer Taylor passed away in 1996. Bogle died in 2009 followed by lead guitarist Edwards in 2018 and guitarist Gerry McGee in 2019 (joined the band in 1968).
