“Full House” actor John Stamos heard about the death of founding Beach Boys member Brian Wilson like most others, but had the uniquely difficult duty of breaking that news to band member Mike Love — who “didn’t say one word” for several hours after.
Wilson, Love’s cousin and the band’s primary songwriter, died Wednesday at 82.
Love mourned his cousin in a speech Thursday while being inducted into the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame, where Stamos introduced him. Stamos learned about Wilson’s death upon landing in New York City for Love’s induction.
“I was with Mike, I got off the plane, and I got the text,” Stamos told the New York Post on the red carpet Thursday. “I was like, ‘Oh boy, I guess I better [tell him].’ I said, ‘Mike, your cousin passed away,’ and his face went blank.”
“We sat in the car for two and a half hours or so… he didn’t say one word,” he continued.
Stamos said he didn’t ask the singer how he was feeling.
“I knew how he was feeling,” he said Thursday.
The actor experienced the loss of his best friend and “brother” of 50 years, Mike Owen, to a sudden heart attack last year. He also lost his former “Full House” co-star Bob Saget to an accidental head injury in 2022.
Love and Wilson founded the Beach Boys in 1961 alongside Wilson’s brothers Dennis and Carl, along with Al Jardine. Wilson wrote and produced most of their songs in addition to his work as a singer, while Love became the band’s lead vocalist.
Their relationship grew strained when Love sued Wilson for defamation over his 1991 memoir, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice: My Own Story,” alleging Wilson and publisher HarperCollins inaccurately portrayed him and minimized his songwriting contributions to the band.
Stephanie Augello/Variety/Getty Images
Love again sued Wilson in 1993, alleging that he deserved songwriting credits on dozens of Beach Boys songs that didn’t list him as an official writer. Love was reportedly awarded $13 million and retroactive songwriting credits on 35 tracks.
Wilson’s cause of death has yet to be determined or publicly shared. The singer-songwriter had reportedly been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, and had regularly experienced auditory hallucinations since the 1960s.
His death sparked heartfelt tributes from around the world, including one from Love.
“Today, the world lost a genius, and I lost a cousin by blood and my partner in music,” he wrote Thursday on Instagram. “Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound… I’ll miss you forever, my beloved cousin.”
Read the full article here
