On Thursday (June 12) evening in New York City, The Beach Boys legend Mike Love was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The massive honor for the veteran singer-songwriter came in the wake of huge loss to fans of the Beach Boys: just one day prior to the induction ceremony, news broke that Brian Wilson, one-time leader of the peerless pop-rock group, had died at 82. Wilson and Love were not just bandmates, but co-writers on some of the biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits of the ‘60s – not to mention cousins.
So when John Stamos – the Full House alum who has been performing with his beloved Beach Boys for four decades now – took the stage to introduce Love, he took a pause to mention the loss. “I’d like to take a moment and acknowledge the heartbreaking loss of Brian Wilson,” said Stamos. “A genius whose melodies shaped millions of dreams, including those in this room.”
Of Love, Stamos noted that the new inductee was the main man behind many of the Beach Boys’ most recognizable hooks, and said his induction was “long overdue.”
Love, wearing a dapper blue blazer and Beach Boys call cap, paid tribute to his departed co-writer and fellow Beach Boy during his acceptance speech, too.
“Gratitude is the main emotion I feel,” Love told the Songwriters Hall of Fame audience. After thanking his wife, children, band and crew, Love added, “I especially want to thank my cousin, Brian Wilson. I believe he’s here with us.
“He’s my first cousin but brother in music together,” Love continued, noting that their partnership “set the stage for some of the most successful collaborations all time.”
“I do feel his presence,” Love said. Sharing “gratitude, love and peace” with the crowd, he added, “I pray that through music, art and kindness, the world heals and love prevails.”
After that, Love sauntered over to the mic to perform (with Stamos on guitar!) a number of his best-loved co-writes, smash hits for the Beach Boys such as “Good Vibrations,” “Kokomo” and “I Get Around.” Needless to say, damn near the entire room was on its feet, singing along.
