John Stamos recently opened up about the devastating moment he had to inform Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love of the passing of his cousin and bandmate, Brian Wilson. Wilson, whose family announced his death at the age of 82 on Wednesday, was a central figure in the world of music.
Stamos recounted the emotional experience during Love’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City on Thursday. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I was with Mike at the airport when I got the text, and I had to tell him,” Stamos shared with ABC Audio. He noted, “I’ve never seen him that quiet. He just shut down. You know, 84 years with his cousin.”
Reflecting on the deep bond between Love and Wilson, Stamos added, “He loved his cousin. They loved each other.”
Stamos, who has been associated with the Beach Boys since 1985, performed a medley of their hits, including “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Kokomo,” and “Good Vibrations” to honor Love during the ceremony. On the red carpet, he praised both Love’s and Wilson’s significant contributions to the legendary band’s music, stating that Love “painted the cinematic tableau of California … and it was all about love and positivity and optimism and joy.”
“Mike is a songwriter’s songwriter. Brian Wilson was the biggest genius that ever walked this earth. He was so big and he was so powerful that sometimes Mike got overlooked,” Stamos commented. However, he acknowledged that Wilson would frequently give Love credit, saying, “Mike wrote that, Mike did this, Mike did that.”
Love described Wilson as “a mastermind” behind their influential tracks, emphasizing the brilliance of the album “Pet Sounds.” “If you were to listen to the tracks of ‘Pet Sounds,’ it’s mind-blowing,” he said, marveling at Wilson’s talents. “You’d say, how the heck did he ever do that? But he did it, and then we slaved over the vocals.”
He reminisced about his creative process, noting, “If … Brian came up with the track for ‘California Girls,’ I’d be out in the hallway writing the words.”
In light of Wilson’s passing, Love expressed gratitude for the tributes being shared, including one from Bruce Springsteen, who called the Beach Boys “America’s greatest band.” Love remarked, “I think that’s a wonderful thing for him to say. He’s The Boss.”
He also responded to Elton John’s recent praise of the album “Pet Sounds,” stating, “What Elton John recently said was that he believes ‘Pet Sounds’ will be the only album that will be played forever. That’s pretty amazing, coming from Elton John.”