The Beach Boys just wouldn't feel the same without Brian Wilson. It's evident in the 80s work with just Mike Love and company. John Stamos guest spots and reimagining their hits can't make up for how truly inimitable the musical visionary was. It's clear that Wilson's death has clearly affected Love. Stamos unfortunately had to break the news to him. As you can imagine, Love was speechless.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"I said, 'Mike, your cousin passed away,' and his face went blank. We sat in the car for 2½ hours or so... he didn't say one word. I didn't ask him anything, ask him how he was feeling. I knew how he was feeling," Stamos recalls. It took until the 2025 Songwriters' Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Love to find the right words. Now, he finally expresses his grief over the death of Brian Wilson.
Mike Love Says He Will Always Be 'Inseparable' From Brian Wilson
Recently, Love spoke with PEOPLE before his Songwriters' Hall of Fame induction. There, he says that he feels Brian Wilson with him even in that moment. Moreover, he emphasizes that he would be with him as he lives and breathes and even when he dies. "Well, I think what it is, is Brian's with us tonight. I can feel his presence. You know, we co-created these great songs together, and so we're inseparable really in life and afterlife too, so, I do really feel his presence and, yeah, I've known him all his life. I'm one year older," Mike explains.
As he mourns the loss, Love also tries to stay present for a massive night for himself. He wants to take in all of the honor despite everything that happened. "It's really great to to have my contribution to the Beach Boys music finally recognized, so it's a great honor. I'm being inducted into an organization that has so many fantastic talented people, so it's an enormous honor," Mike says.
