Music’s Aviation Tragedies: Dean Paul Martin

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My brother got a good checkup from the cardiologist today, thank God. That means his hospitalization last week was a big panic attack. Today I continue the look at musicians who perished in aviation accidents. Here’s today’s person that a lot of old-timers might remember, and most people might recognize because of his dad. Dean Paul Martin Dino, Desi, and Billy. That’s Dean Martin’s son, Desi Arnez and Lucille Ball’s son, and a friend of the two (which is why he was listed last in the band name ), Billy Hinsche. They were teenagers making teenage music (people still considered rock and roll a passing fad in the mid-60s). They had a measure of talent, but the famous dads probably helped a lot. After they grew up “real life” took over. Dino decided to adopt “Dean Paul” as his name (Dino works for a teenager or a pet on The Flintstones, but not for an adult ). He branched out into acting and playing tennis (he got to the qualifying tournament at Wimbledon). Oh, and flying. He’d had a pilot’s license at 16 (which is the minimum age for obtaining one). In 1980 he joined the California Air National Guard. He reached the rank of captain during his service. On Saturday, March 21, 1987, Captain Martin and his weapons officer, Captain Ramon Ortiz, were on a training flight. According to the public affairs officer’s report in the paper once the wreckage was located, five days after the crash, the two “perished instantly” when they hit the side of a mountain in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. The wreckage was located about 5,500 feet into the mountains. Location and recovery were hampered by March snow in the mountains. Dean Martin, according to everyone, was never the same after his son’s death. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1993, Martin refused treatment that would prolong his life. As many parents who’ve lost a child will attest, Dean’s “life” ended the day Dino died. Dean Paul Martin Born Dean Paul Crocetti, Jr. November 17, 1951 - March 21, 1987 (age 35) Place of crash: Mount San Gorgonio, San Bernardino Mountains, California The teenage “Dino” on The Ed Sullivan Show with Desi and Billy: