Mike Love made his first live appearance with The Beach Boys since health issues forced the band to cancel or postpone a series of tour dates celebrating the 60th anniversary of Pet Sounds. The 85-year-old Love, the only remaining classic-era Beach Boys member in the touring lineup, joined the band for their concert at PNC Pavilion in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday night.
Before Love took the stage, frequent Beach Boys collaborator John Stamos and his son Christian informed the audience of his presence and addressed his recent health struggles. “He’s been going through some health issues. He’s had to cancel some shows. But he would not miss tonight. We sort of said ‘stay home,’ but he was like, ‘No, I’m going to Cincinnati.’”
“It’s what he loves the most. He loves the audience. He loves the music. He knows how important it is to all of you. We’re all here to support him and give him as much love as we can,” Stamos added.
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Love was then escorted onto the stage, walking gingerly with assistance from Stamos and Christian. He remained seated throughout the concert and contributed only backing vocals, while Stamos, Christian, and guitarist Brian Eichenberger handled most of the lead vocal duties (via Rolling Stone).
Love has not disclosed the specific nature of his health issues, though he previously said that the deaths of his sister Maureen and cousin Brian Wilson, followed by bouts of COVID-19 and bronchitis, had “taken both an emotional and physical toll on me.”
The Beach Boys have a show scheduled in Nashville on Sunday night, followed by a pair of dates in Florida and Virginia in November.
Update: In a new statement posted to Instagram, Stamos acknowledged the seriousness of Love’s health challenges and the uncertainty surrounding his future: “Mike is a fighter. Despite doctors, family and friends urging him to focus on his health, he insists on being on stage. He says he needs his band, the audience, his friends and drummer surrounding him to lift him up.” Stamos confirmed that Love would once again join The Beach Boys for their show in Nashville on Sunday night, while appearing to acknowledge the possibility that it could be his final performance.