Mike Love | |
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.jpg) Love performing in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Edward Love |
| Born | (1941-03-15)March 15, 1941 (age 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | The Beach Boys |
| Formerly of | Celebration |
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the lead vocalists ofthe Beach Boys which he co-founded with his cousinsBrian,Dennis, andCarl Wilson and their friendAl Jardine. Characterized by his nasaltenor and occasionalbass-baritone singing, Love has been one of the band's vocalists and lyricists for their entire career, contributing to each of their studio albums and serving as their frontman for live performances. During the mid-1960s, he was one of Brian's main collaborators, contributing lyrics to hit records such as "Be True to Your School" (1963), "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964), "I Get Around" (1964), "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "California Girls" (1965), and "Good Vibrations" (1966).
Drawing inspiration fromChuck Berry andFelice and Boudleaux Bryant, Love's lyrics primarily reflected the youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance, which helped fashion pop culture's perception of the "California Dream".[1] Love also had a significant role in the Beach Boys' vocal arrangements – particularly thedoo-wop element in their sound. Starting in 1968, Love was a student ofTranscendental Meditation (TM) underMaharishi Mahesh Yogi, and became a TM teacher in 1971. The experience influenced his lyrics to take on themes of astrology, meditation, politics and ecology. In the late 1970s, Love frontedCelebration, a short-lived band that consisted of Beach Boys touring musicians, and began working on solo albums, releasing his first in 1981,Looking Back with Love.
Love is often vilified by fans and critics due to his history of conflicts with his bandmates, a characterization he has disputed. Many of his contributions to the group's hits were not officially recognized until the 1990s, when hesued Brian for writing credits on 35 songs. Love remains uncredited for another 44 Beach Boys songs he claims to have co-written. Following Carl Wilson's death in 1998, the band members and their corporation,Brother Records, Inc., granted Love an exclusive license to tour under the Beach Boys' name. Since then, Love has maintained a near-constant touring regimen withhis edition of the group, and has released three more solo albums. He has not performed with Brian since their2012 reunion tour.
Love's honors include an induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beach Boys in 1988. Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects asenvironmentalism,juvenile diabetes, andmusic education.
Michael Edward Love, the first of six children, was born in theBaldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles[2] on March 15, 1941. Love's mother, Emily "Glee" Wilson (1919–1979), was the sister of Audrey andMurry Wilson, a resident of Los Angeles since the early 1920s. Glee married Edward Milton Love (1918–2013), the son of the founder of the Love Sheet Metal Company, in 1938. After Love's birth, the family moved to the View Park neighborhood. He attendedDorsey High School and graduated in 1959. Unsure of a career direction, Love pumped gas and briefly joined his father's company, whose fortunes dramatically declined in the late 1950s. Both Milt and Glee Love were active in sports, and Love's younger brotherStan Love later played in theNational Basketball Association. Glee had a distinct interest in painting and the arts. Like her brother, Murry, however, she was also strong-willed and, according to her husband, a dominant personality. The family was close-knit and regularly socialized with Murry and his family. Murry was a part-time songwriter.[3]
Love often sang at family get-togethers at his cousins, the Wilsons', home in nearbyHawthorne, especially at Christmas. It was here, under the vocal harmony guidance ofBrian Wilson, that the Beach Boys sound was established, predominantly influenced by Brian's devotion tothe Four Freshmen's arrangements. Musical accompaniment during this formative phase was solely Brian's self-taught piano, but this was quickly expanded by the guitar contributions of Brian's college friendAl Jardine (whose fundamental interest wasfolk music) andCarl Wilson (whose idol wasChuck Berry).[4] With the failure of Love Sheet Metal, the family was forced to move to a modest two-bedroom house inInglewood, closer to the Wilsons.[5]
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Love played rudimentary saxophone in the first years of the fledgling garage band that evolved from the Pendletones to the Beach Boys.[6] He also established himself, along with neighborGary Usher,[7] local DJRoger Christian, and others, as a collaborator with Brian Wilson in the band's original compositions.[8] To help write many of the Beach Boys songs, Love drew inspiration from the lyrics of Chuck Berry along withFelice and Boudleaux Bryant, who wrote many ofthe Everly Brothers' songs including "Devoted to You" and "All I Have to Do is Dream". He explained, "They were both the fun, descriptive pictorial vignettes as well as the more sweet, romantic and devotional lyrics. ... Even before that and more fundamental than that, I was always into poetry."[9]
Carl Wilson commented that, "It's not widely known, but Michael had a hand in a lot of the arrangements. He would bring out the funkier approaches, whether to goshoo-boo-bop orbom-bom-did-di-did-did. It makes a big difference, because it can change the whole rhythm, the whole color and tone of it."[10] He also credited Love, an avid fan ofdoo-wop combos, with influencing Brian to listen to blackR&B records. WriterGeoffrey Himes claimed that without "Mike's R&B influence ... Brian couldn't have possibly become 'Brian Wilson.'"[11]
In early 1964, Brian Wilson shifted the Beach Boys away from beach-themed music.[12] That November, Love told aMelody Maker reporter that he and his bandmates wanted to look beyondsurf music and avoid living in the past or resting on the band's laurels.[13] He is also credited with naming their albumPet Sounds (1966).[14] Asked for his favorite Beach Boys album in a 1994 interview, Love responded, "I guessPet Sounds ... because of the orchestrations and arrangement. Because it's not just about cars or girls or school, but it's about feelings."[15]
Conversely, Love has also been reported as resisting the group's new direction. In the description of music journalist Erik Hedegaard, Love gathered a reputation as "one of the biggest assholes in the history of rock & roll" due to such accusations.[16] Love commented in a 2007 interview,
The people around Brian who do his PR have always perpetrated these myths about what I liked and didn't like. So, I'm perfectly happy to own up to what I said and what I didn't like, but it's a bunch of crap to say that I didn't like thePet Sounds album. It's fantastically crafted. ... I just think that some people who lionise Brian try to build him up by thinking if they tear down anybody else, me in particular, that that's a way of building him up. It's quite unnecessary and unfortunate, but that whole thing about me not liking the album is absolute trash. It's completely false.[17]
Similarly, Love dismissed most of the reported claims about his reservations with theSmile album: "I never said anything bad about any of the tracks. I admit to wanting to make a commercially successful pop record, so I might have complained about some of the lyrics onSmile".[16] In 1970, Love stated inPop Chronicles thatSmile was "good stuff" and "a fantastically-produced album", adding that "it'll come out, eventually."[18] Brian said that the collapse ofSmile was not due to Love's opposition to the lyrics.[19] However,Van Dyke Parks, the album's lyricist, blamed Love with putting "a stop" on the album.[20] In a 1971Rolling Stone article, business associateDavid Anderle quoted Love saying, "Don't fuck with the formula". Over the ensuing years, the quote was repeated in myriad books, articles, websites, and blogs.[21] Anderle later said that his statement about "the formula" had been misinterpreted.[21] Love returned to co-writing with Brian for the Beach Boys' December 1967 albumWild Honey, the group's first foray intoR&B.[22]
Love stated in 1978 that the group's unhappiness with Capitol's promotional efforts had led them to change record companies in the late 1960s. "They promoted us very well for the first four or five years, then they failed ... in promoting the change, which would have been very commercially sensible on their part, but they didn't ever do it. In '68 or '69, they were still promoting us as the number one surfing group in the USA. How relevant was that after 'Good Vibrations',Pet Sounds,Smiley Smile or Vietnam and everything else?"[23] In his 2016 memoir, he wrote that, unlike Brian, he was never concerned about being taken seriously by critics, and felt that detractors of their early songs showed "elitism at its worst: because so many people loved our music, there must be something wrong with it."[24]
In late 1967, Love became one of the many rock musicians who discovered the teachings ofMaharishi Mahesh Yogi followingthe Beatles' public endorsement of hisTranscendental Meditation (TM) technique in August 1967. In December, Love and his bandmates attended a lecture by the Maharishi at aUNICEF Variety Gala inParis,[25] and were moved by the simplicity and effectiveness of his meditation process as a means to obtaining inner peace.[26] In January 1968, the Beach Boys attended the Maharishi's public appearances inNew York[27] andCambridge,Massachusetts, after which he invited Love to join the Beatles at his training seminar inRishikesh in northern India.[28] Love stayed there from February 28 to March 15.[27] He later claimed to helpPaul McCartney with the lyrics of "Back in the U.S.S.R.", recorded for the Beatles'White Album (1968).[29]
While in Rishikesh, Love planned a U.S. concert tour that would feature the Beach Boys and the Maharishi as co-headliners.[30][31] The tour begun in May 1968 ended abruptly after five shows due to the disappointing audience numbers and the Maharishi's subsequent withdrawal to fulfill film contracts.[32] In his 2016 autobiography, Love wrote: "I take responsibility for an idea that didn't work. But I don't regret it. I thought I could do some good for people who were lost, confused, or troubled, particularly those who were young and idealistic but also vulnerable, and I thought that was true for a whole bunch of us."[33] Despite the ignominy of the tour, the Beach Boys remained ardent supporters of the Maharishi and TM.[34] Love became a TM initiator in 1972 and later progressed to more advanced levels such as the TM-Sidhi Course.[34]
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Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Love wrote the words and music of several Beach Boys songs, including "Big Sur" (1973), "Everyone's in Love with You" (1976) and "Sumahama" (1978).[35] In 1978, he co-founded the bandCelebration, which achieved the U.S. Top 30 hit single "Almost Summer" (co-written with Brian Wilson and Jardine).[36] Besides his work with Celebration, he also recorded two solo albums in October and November 1978.First Love was produced by Love's Celebration collaborator Paul Fauerso and featured original songs by Love and vocals from cousin and Beach Boys bandmate Carl Wilson.Country Love was acountry album produced byAl Perkins (apedal steel guitarist formerly ofThe Flying Burrito Brothers andManassas) and mostly featured original songs written by Love. Both albums were not released but were later bootlegged; Love later revisited and re-recorded several songs fromFirst Love later in his solo career and with The Beach Boys. TheFirst Love version of "Brian's Back", written about the fairly recent return of Love's cousin and Beach Boys bandmate to recording and touring with the group, was later released on the Beach Boys' 1998 compilation albumEndless Harmony Soundtrack.[37][38][39] In 1981, he released his first solo album (third to be recorded, but first to be released),Looking Back with Love (1981), with production byCurt Boettcher.
In 1988, the Beach Boys had a U.S. number 1 hit with "Kokomo", the only number 1 the band achieved without Brian's involvement.[40] Love (along with "Kokomo" co-writersScott McKenzie,Terry Melcher, andJohn Phillips) was nominated for aGolden Globe Award (1988) in the Original Song category, and was nominated for aGrammy Award, for "Kokomo".[41] Also in 1988, Love was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other founding members of the Beach Boys. At the induction ceremony Love delivered a hostile speech, criticizing McCartney,Bruce Springsteen,Billy Joel, andMick Jagger.[42] When asked in 2016 if he regretted anything about the night, Love said, "Yeah, I regret that I didn't meditate [earlier that day]."[16]
In 1992, Love, along with Jardine and several Wilson family members, sued Brian fordefamation regarding claims made in his 1991 memoirWouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The case was settled out of court by publisherHarperCollins, who awarded Love $1.5 million. It was the first of numerous lawsuits that Love would file against Brian.[16] Two years later, Love won a legal proceeding to establish what he considered to be proper authorship credit for many of the Beach Boys songs he co-wrote. Love successfully argued that Murry Wilson avoided crediting him with his early lyrical contributions to Brian's songs, denying Love accruedroyalties.[16] He later called it "almost certainly the largest case of fraud in music history".[43]
After the death of Carl Wilson in 1998, Love continued to tour with the Beach Boys, along withBruce Johnston and a supporting band of new musicians, occasionally including actorJohn Stamos. He leased exclusive rights to tour under the Beach Boys name in a boardroom settlement withBrother Records, the Beach Boys' company. However, former bandmate Jardine had been touring under the banners "Beach Boys Family & Friends", "Al Jardine, Beach Boy" and "Al Jardine of the Beach Boys" during this time and Love decided to sue him in order to prevent the use of the name. In the lawsuit the courts ruled in Love's favor, denying Jardine the use of the Beach Boys name in any fashion. Jardine proceeded to appeal this decision in addition to seeking $4 million in damages. TheCalifornia Court of Appeal proceeded to rule that, "Love acted wrongfully in freezing Jardine out of touring under the Beach Boys name", allowing Jardine to continue with his lawsuit.[44] The case ended up being settled outside of court with the terms not disclosed.[45]
In 2000,ABC premiered a two-part television miniseries,The Beach Boys: An American Family, that dramatized the Beach Boys' story. It was produced by Stamos and was criticized for historical inaccuracies. Love was an advisor to the film. Some critics accused him of having the film overstate his role in the group and portray negative depictions of Brian andSmile collaboratorVan Dyke Parks.[20]
On November 3, 2005, Love sued Brian and the British newspaperThe Mail On Sunday because the Beach Boys' name and Love's image were used in a promotional CD that was given free with the paper to promote the 2004Brian Wilson presents Smile release. Love argued that the unauthorized (by Brother Records Inc.) free CD resulted in loss of income for the band. Wilson's wifeMelinda alleged that, during the deposition, Love turned to Wilson and remarked, "you better start writing a real big hit because you're going to have to write me a real big check."[46] The lawsuit was dismissed on May 16, 2007, on the grounds that it was without merit.[47][clarification needed]
In 2011, Love reunited with Brian, Jardine, Johnston andDavid Marks for anew Beach Boys album and50th anniversary tour beginning in 2012.[48] In September 2012, Love and Johnston announced via a press release that following the end of the reunion tour the Beach Boys would revert to the Love/Johnston lineup, without Brian, Jardine or Marks, all of whom expressed surprise. Although such dates were noted in a late June issue ofRolling Stone, it was widely reported that the three had been "fired".[49]
Love's autobiography,Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, was published on September 13, 2016. He wrote the book as a response to "many inaccuracies" that had he claimed were said about him over the decades.[50] It was published one month before the release of Brian's autobiography,I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir. When asked about the book's negative comments toward him, Love responded: "He's not in charge of his life, like I am mine. His every move is orchestrated and a lot of things he's purported to say, there's not tape of it."[51] As of November 2016, Love claims that he has not read Brian's book.[51]
On November 17, 2017, Love released his second solo albumUnleash the Love.[52] On October 26, 2018, Love released his third solo album,Reason for the Season, featuring traditional and original Christmas music. Love's fourth album12 Sides Of Summer was released on July 19, 2019. The albumMike Love Not War followed in 2023.
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Love has been married to Jacquelyne Piesen since 1994 and has eight children: two with Piesen and six from his four previous marriages.[citation needed] As of 2015, he resides inIncline Village,Nevada on the northern shore ofLake Tahoe.[16] Love is avegetarian who practices Transcendental Meditation, wears IndianAyurveda rings, and partakes in traditionalHindu ceremonies.[53]
In addition to being a cousin of the Wilson brothers, Love is the brother of former NBA basketball playerStan Love, andPink Martini harpistMaureen Love, and the uncle ofMiami Heat basketball playerKevin Love.[54] Shawn Marie Love, a woman who was married to Dennis Wilson in his final months of life, has alleged she is Love's daughter, an accusation Love has denied.[55]
Love describes himself as aprogressive. However, a photographed handshake between him andRonald Reagan in the 1980s and his longtime friendship with Donald Trump has led many to label him as aconservative; Love responded that being friendly with someone does not imply endorsing all of that person's opinions.[56] Notwithstanding the friendly relationship between the Beach Boys andGeorge H. W. Bush for many years, in 1992 the band raised money for the TM-backedNatural Law Party. At the time, Love announced he was switching his support from Bush to NLP candidateJohn Hagelin.[57]
In 2018, Love praisedDonald Trump for his "support of music historically" and was present at the signing of theMusic Modernization Act in October.[58] After Trump's election, the Beach Boys were asked to perform in the festivities for2017 Trump's inauguration,[59] and Love initially responded positively, saying Trump had "been a friend for a long time. Does that mean I agree with everything he says? No. But... if we were asked [to play his inauguration], I'm sure that we would."[60] Instead, during the evening of Trump's inauguration day, Love's Beach Boys performed at the Texas State Society's "Black Tie & Boots" Inaugural Ball.[61]
In February 2020, Brian Wilson and Jardine's official social media pages encouraged fans to boycott the band's music on animal rights grounds, after it was announced that Love's Beach Boys would perform at aSafari Club International convention inReno, Nevada. The concert proceeded despite online protests; Love issued a statement that his group has always supported "freedom of thought and expression as a fundamental tenet of our rights as Americans."[62] In October 2020, Love's Beach Boys agreed to play as the headliner at a high-dollar fundraiser for Trump'sreelection campaign inNewport Beach.[63] In a press release, Wilson and Jardine disavowed the use of the Beach Boys' name and music at the event, stating "we have absolutely nothing to do with the Trump benefit today in Newport Beach. Zero."[64] Love again played atMar-a-Lago'sNew Year's Eve celebration that year, alongside other acts.[65][66] In 2022, Love attended theConservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[67]
Love has been a longtime supporter of environmental causes and was among speakers at theEarth Summit inRio de Janeiro in 1992 andEarth Day 2000 inWashington, DC. He was instrumental in forming StarServe ("Students Taking Action and Responsibility to Serve"), which enlisted high-profile celebrities to inspire America's youth to help serve their communities.[68] He also created the Love Foundation, which supports national environmental and educational initiatives.[citation needed] Love personally donated $100,000 to theAmerican Red Cross to benefit the victims ofHurricane Katrina and helped the foundation raise an additional $250,000. He has served as a member of the board of directors of the Lake Tahoe School in Incline Village, Nevada,[failed verification] and was responsible for raising over $1 million to benefit the school.[68]
In 2010, Love contributed to theJuvenile Diabetes Research Foundation'sMore Hope For The Holidays album with vocals on "Closing of the Year" as well as contributing his self-penned "Santa's Goin' To Kokomo". On the album he appears alongsideWeezer,Brandi Carlile, andCreedence Clearwater Revisited. Proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.[69] He performed a benefit concert for the foundation for the Children of the Californias which raised one million dollars to support the expansion of three new surgical suites. Duringthe 50th Reunion Tour, Love, alongside the Beach Boys, partnered withOperation Smile to raise funds for those in need ofcleft lip and palate repair surgeries. In May 2013, he was recognized for his decades of investment in education and national service by being awarded City Year's "Seven Generations Award".[68]
Studio albums
WithCelebration
Other albums
Singles
He grew up in Baldwin Hills, California, an L.A. suburb inland of the 405...
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