Former Beach Boys guitar player Al Jardine says he was shocked to see footage of Mike Love struggling during the Beach Boys’ performance at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Sunday, October 11.
The two founding members performed together for years before animosity and legal battles drove them apart. But those longstanding differences took a back seat as Jardine spoke to Rolling Stone about his concern for Love’s health and well-being.
Jardine was scheduled to perform with other surviving members of the Beach Boys when he saw the footage.
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“It’s shocking and I was really depressed,” Jardine said of the 85-year-old Love. “I had to really shake myself out of it just to get onstage. Just the optics of it were just awful and I’m speechless.”
Love, who has fronted the Beach Boys for years, remained seated throughout the Ryman performance, occasionally contributing background vocals.
Jardine said Love had been “going through some health issues for quite a while.” Asked whether he believed the Beach Boys should continue performing with Love, Jardine didn’t mince words.
“I would hope not,” he said. “That’s just not right, that I can see. Obviously, he’s a total pro. He wants to be onstage, but he just doesn’t know how not to do it. He doesn’t know what else to do, so I think he’s trapped.”
The pair’s relationship has also been marked by legal disputes. Love sued Jardine several times over his use of the Beach Boys name, including in 2003, when he challenged Jardine’s decision to tour under names such as Beach Boys Family & Friends, Al Jardine, Beach Boy and Al Jardine of the Beach Boys. Love argued that the performances amounted to unfair competition with the group he led.
The full extent of Love’s current health problems remains unclear. But ahead of the Ryman show, actor John Stamos — a longtime friend of Love’s and an occasional guest performer with the Beach Boys — shared a sobering assessment of his condition. The performance came after the band postponed a planned six-week summer tour in July, saying Love needed time to “recharge.”
“My beloved friend, father figure, musical hero and mentor, Mike Love, is facing serious health challenges,” Stamos wrote. He offered no further details about Love’s condition, though Love had revealed on Instagram in June that he was struggling in the wake of his sister Maureen’s death and was also dealing with bronchitis and COVID.
Stamos said the outlook remained uncertain, even as those close to Love hoped he would be able to keep performing. “We hope he’ll be doing what he loves for years to come, but we don’t know what the future holds. We have tonight.”
He also described Love’s determination to continue touring despite concerns from those around him. “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.”
Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson died in 2025.
The Beach Boys still have several performances on the calendar, including a November 11 appearance at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park in Orlando, Florida, and a November 13 show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia. Their schedule also includes a May 8, 2027, performance at River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta, Canada.
