Mike Love, the only remaining original member of The Beach Boys, who is still touring under the group’s name, is “facing serious health challenges,” John Stamos wrote in an update to fans on Sunday (Oct. 11).
Stamos, who occasionally performs with The Beach Boys, posted a candid note on instagram On the way to Sunday night’s concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Stamos said he was “struggling to put my feelings into words.”
“My dear friend, father figure, musical hero and mentor, Mike Love, is facing serious health challenges,” said Stamos, who did not provide specific details about Love’s health condition. “We hope he continues to do what he loves in the years to come, but we don’t know what the future holds. We have tonight.”
His message continued: “Mike is a fighter. Despite doctors, family and friends urging him to pay attention to his health, he insists on staying on stage. He says he needs his band, the audience, his friends and the drummer to lift him up.”
“I’ve played with Mike for 41 years,” Stamos said. “I never imagined how deeply seeing someone larger than life confront something so human and delicate would impact me. The Mike Love we see tonight may not be quite the Mike we’ve always known. But he’s still the Mike we love.”
Stamos said he hoped to be “fully present” on stage with Love at Sunday night’s concert, to “feel the first chord being played and watch age, disease and time disappear.”
In July, the group took a break from the summer tour to give Love a chance to “recharge”. The announcement affected a six-week tour of dates, totaling approximately 30 shows.
The Beach Boys have a limited slate Dates currently scheduledThat includes a November 11 performance at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park near Orlando, Florida, and a November 13 concert at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia. Looking ahead to 2027, the band has a show on the calendar for May 8 at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta, Canada.
Al Jardine, the only other surviving member of the classic-era Beach Boys lineup, does not perform with Love’s current Beach Boys formation – but still does The Pet Sounds hit the road as a band With members of Brian Wilson’s support group.
Read Stamos’ October 11 note about Mike Love in full below:
I’m boarding a plane to Nashville to play with the Beach Boys at the Ryman Auditorium and I’m struggling to put into words my feelings.
My dear friend, father figure, musical hero and mentor, Mike Love, is facing serious health challenges. We hope he continues to do what he loves in the years to come, but we don’t know what the future holds. We have tonight.
Mike is a fighter. Despite doctors, family and friends urging him to pay attention to his health, he insists on appearing on stage. He says he needs his band, his audience, his friends and his drummer to lift him up.
I’ve played with Mike for 41 years. I never imagined how deeply seeing someone larger than life tackle something so human and delicate would affect me.
The Mike Love we see tonight may not be quite the Mike we’ve always known. But he’s still the Mike we love.
His lyrics, optimism, unforgettable hooks and over 7,000 concerts have brought joy to generations. What he has given me personally is immeasurable.
41 years of stages, planes, hotel rooms, laughter and moments no one else saw. He married Caitlin and me. He has shared experiences with my family and now my son.
Mike didn’t give me a place in his band just like that. He gave me a place in his life.
He taught me how to entertain, command the stage, connect with the audience and make people feel something. I take those lessons everywhere I go. He has made me a better musician, entertainer and human being.
This life with Mike and the Beach Boys has become a part of my identity. I have been entrusted with the responsibility of being the steward of this extraordinary music and taking it to new generations.
Tonight, at the Ryman, sharing the stage with Mike, I want to be fully present. Hear every harmony, familiar jokes and excitement. Feel that first sound and watch age, disease and time disappear. Just a few people making music together.
Perhaps the hardest part of loving someone is becoming so accustomed to the miracle of their existence that you forget it is a miracle.
Tonight, I won’t forget.
I want to cherish every moment without feeling that those moments are lost.
That’s what I’m giving him.
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. But we have tonight.
