John Stamos Says Beach Boys Singer Mike Love, 85, Faces ‘Serious’ Health Challenges
John Stamos revealed on Instagram that Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love, 85, is facing “serious” health challenges — and that despite doctors' urging, the frontman insists on staying on stage.
John Stamos said Sunday that his longtime friend and bandmate Mike Love, the 85-year-old co-founder and frontman of the Beach Boys, is facing “serious” health challenges.
Stamos shared the update on Instagram on Sunday as he traveled to Nashville for the Beach Boys’ concert at the Ryman Auditorium. “My beloved friend, father figure, musical hero and mentor, Mike Love, is facing serious health challenges,” Stamos wrote, according to Page Six. “We hope he’ll be doing what he loves for years to come, but we don’t know what the future holds.”
The “Full House” and “ER” actor, 63, said Love is a “fighter” who has been urged by doctors, family and friends to focus on his health but “insists on being on stage.” Stamos said he has performed with Love for 41 years, and reflected that “the Mike Love we see tonight may not be exactly the Mike we’ve always known. But he’s still every bit the Mike we love.”
Shows canceled, then a return to the stage
The update followed a turbulent few months for the band. Over the summer, Love publicly discussed his recovery from bronchitis and COVID-19 and the death of his sister, which he said had taken an “emotional and physical toll” on him, Page Six reported. Last month, the Beach Boys abruptly canceled several concerts just a day before they were scheduled to return to the road after a two-month break.
The band returned to the stage on Oct. 10 in Cincinnati, where Love told the audience he had been “going through some health issues” but “would not miss tonight,” according to Far Out Magazine. He was helped onto the stage by bandmates, including his son Christian Love, and remained seated for most of the performance, with other bandmates covering some vocal parts, the outlet reported, citing Billboard.
Decades behind the Beach Boys
Love is the sole remaining original member of the Beach Boys still touring under the group’s name, according to GetUrTix’s coverage. Stamos praised his songwriting, optimism and what he described as more than 7,000 concerts that have brought joy to generations of fans.
Page Six said it reached out to Love’s representative for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Reporting based on coverage by Page Six, Far Out Magazine and Contact Music.
