John Stamos was by Beach Boys founding member Mike Love’s side when news of bandmate Brian Wilson’s death on Wednesday was made public. The “Full House” star was also the messenger who delivered the heartbreaking news to Love, Wilson’s cousin-turned-longtime collaborator.
“I said, ‘Mike, your cousin passed away,’ and his face went blank,” Stamos, an honorary Beach Boys member, recalled to the New York Post. “And we sat in the car for two and a half hours or so … he didn’t say one word.”
Wilson, the genius behind the Beach Boys, died Wednesday at age 82. The singer’s family announced his death on social media and his website, writing in a statement, “We are at a loss for words right now.” A cause of death was not revealed, but Wilson was diagnosed with dementia and placed under a conservatorship in May 2024. Wilson, who co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961 with brothers Dennis and Carl and cousin Love, also battled mental health issues and drug addiction for decades.
Stamos, 61, relived the somber moment on Thursday ahead of the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York, where Love was among the newest group of inductees that included George Clinton, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and the Doobie Brothers. Though Love remained speechless after learning of Wilson’s death, Stamos said, “I knew how he was feeling.” The actor, who has performed with the Beach Boys over several decades, also spoke to the Post about Love, 84, and Wilson’s relationship, noting “they made beautiful music together.”
During the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, Stamos introduced Love, who paid tribute to Wilson, as “my brother in music.” His sentiments on Thursday added to his social media tribute to Wilson on Wednesday.
“Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound,” Love wrote as he reminisced on the group’s early days and Wilson’s lasting contributions to music.
Love added in his tribute: “Our journey together was filled with moments of brilliance, heartbreak, laughter, complexity and most of all, LOVE . Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.”
Stamos was among the high-profile figures who paid tribute to Wilson on social media. Elton John, the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, Mick Fleetwood, Bruce Springsteen, Nancy Sinatra and California Gov. Gavin Newsom also honored Wilson.
“Wilson fundamentally changed modern music, helping make the Beach Boys not only the defining American band of their era, but also the California band to this day,” Newsom said in a statement. “He captured the mystique and magic of California, carrying it around the world and across generations.”
The Beach Boys established a quintessentially California sound with popular tracks including “Surfer Girl,” “California Girls” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
Wilson is survived by six children, including daughters Carnie and Wendy, who made up two-thirds of the Grammy-nominated pop vocal group Wilson Phillips with the Mamas and the Papas scion Chynna Phillips. He is preceded in death by his wife, Melinda, who died in January 2024. His brother Dennis drowned in 1983 while diving in Marina Del Rey, and Carl, his other brother, died of lung cancer in 1998.
