Rumors About Mike Love Firing Original Beach Boys Are Bullshit




Fat, sick and overwhelmed by the voices in his head, Brian
Wilson
was fired from the Beach Boys on November 25,, 1982 with a
formal note from Brother Records, Inc. stating, “…Your services as an
employee…are hereby terminated effective immediately,” as outlined in Wilson's
1992 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice.
The original Beach Boys held a vote on the future of the band, in fear of
Wilson's overall health, and Mike Love delivered the letter at a band meeting
by saying, “You're fired.”

Fast forward to 2012.

Amid the band's biggest tour in years featuring
on-again-off-again touring member,
Brian Wilson, U.K.'s Telegraph has set the catalyst to a massive media frenzy
with the headline “Beach Boys founders sacked in middle of reunion tour.” Following
the initial article, various media outlets picked up the story with headlines
like, “Brian Wilson fired from the Beach Boys” and “The Mike Love master class
in how to sack the Beach Boys.”

Years of lawsuits over money and credits between cousins
Mike Love and Wilson are supposedly in the past. Yet, multiple media outlets are
claiming that Love has fired all the original members.  It's simply not true.

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]

“I'm disappointed and can't understand why [Love] doesn't
want to tour with Al, David and me,” Wilson told CNN. “… After all we are the
real Beach Boys.”

It's easy to believe Love has fired original members if
background isn't provided. A misconception is that Love owns the rights to the band's
name and has the power to fire members. However, in the history of the band, a
vote must take place and the label gets involved if a member is ousted as in
Wilson's autobiography. Love has simply licensed
the Beach Boys name for years while touring with his band at venues like county
fairs and Disneyland. In fact, the only other member of the Beach Boys that
appears in the Love's band is Bruce Johnston. Instead, the licensed Beach Boys
band is comprised of John Stamos (yeah, really!) and Love's son among others.

“You've got to be careful not to get overexposed,” said Love
in an interview with the Telegraph, “…The Eagles found out the hard way when
they went out for a second year and wound up selling tickets for $5.”

Perhaps, Love is looking out for the future of the band, but
in reality the band isn't going anywhere. In fact, just last week Wilson announced
at the Grammy Museum that the Beach Boys planned to get back into the studio
and record another album in early 2013.

Rest assured, whatever Mike Love chooses to do with his
licensed band, it seems to be irrelevant to the future of the Beach boys.  

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