In a moment of heartbreaking duty, actor John Stamos revealed to Mike Love the tragic news of Brian Wilson’s passing. Stamos, known for his role in Full House, shared that he was the first to notify the Beach Boys frontman about the death of Wilson, the band’s key songwriter and Love’s cousin.
“I was with Mike, I got off the plane, and I got the text,” Stamos recounted to the New York Post during the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “I was like, ‘Oh boy, I guess I better [tell him].’ I said, ‘Mike, your cousin passed away,’ and his face went blank.”
As Love processed the loss of Wilson, who died at 82, Stamos remained by his side for approximately two and a half hours in silence. “He didn’t say one word,” Stamos remembered. “And I didn’t ask him anything, ask him how he was feeling. I knew how he was feeling.”
Brian Wilson and Mike Love, along with Wilson’s brothers Carl and Dennis and friend Al Jardine, formed the Beach Boys in 1961. Love took on the role of lead vocalist and occasional saxophonist, while Wilson was the creative force behind most of their songs, contributing as a producer and performer.
Reflecting on their friendship, Stamos remarked, “You know, they had 80-plus years together. They made beautiful music together.”
However, the relationship faced challenges over the years. Love sued Wilson following claims made in Wilson’s 1991 memoir, resulting in an out-of-court settlement. In 1992, Love filed another lawsuit, seeking credit for songwriting on numerous Beach Boys tracks, ultimately winning $13 million and credits on 35 songs, including classics like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “I Get Around.”
The two later reunited for a 50th anniversary tour alongside the release of the Beach Boys’ 2012 album, That’s Why God Made the Radio. Nevertheless, Wilson’s departure from the band was reportedly contentious, with Love continuing to perform under the Beach Boys’ name while Wilson and Jardine toured together.
In a statement delivered shortly after Wilson’s death was announced, Love expressed his sorrow. “Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound,” he wrote. “From the first time we sang together as kids in my living room, I knew there was something otherworldly in him. His musical gifts were unmatched. The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note — Brian changed the course of music forever.”
Love recalled their shared journey as a mix of brilliance and complexity, emphasizing, “Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.”
Stamos, a lifelong Beach Boys enthusiast, became friends with the group in the 1980s and has performed with them multiple times, beginning with a 1985 Independence Day concert at the Washington Monument. He also appeared in the video for the band’s 1988 hit “Kokomo” and provided vocals for the 1992 rendition of “Forever.”
Recalling one cherished memory with Wilson, Stamos shared, “We were on tour in Canada, and Mike was gonna miss about five shows, so Brian came out, and he was in great shape. We finished the show and he wanted to play piano. And there was a hotel — we were at the Four Seasons in Montreal, and we broke into a ballroom that had a piano. Got the key, opened the piano, and we sat there for about two hours. He sat at the piano and sang and wrote songs.”
The loss of Wilson deeply affected Stamos, who concluded, “The Beach Boys are everything to me, and Brian’s passing yesterday was just such a blow. Without Brian Wilson, life would be a mistake.”