Mike Love facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Love
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Love performing in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Edward Love |
| Born | March 15, 1941 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
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Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member and lead singer of The Beach Boys. He started the band with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine.
Mike Love is known for his unique singing voice, which can be high (a tenor) or sometimes lower (a bass-baritone). He has been a main singer and songwriter for The Beach Boys throughout their history. He helped write lyrics for many of their famous songs in the mid-1960s. These include "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964), "I Get Around" (1964), "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "California Girls" (1965), and "Good Vibrations" (1966).
Love's lyrics often talked about youth culture, like surfing, cars, and romance. This helped create the idea of the "California Dream" in pop music. He also played a big part in how The Beach Boys arranged their vocals, especially adding a doo-wop style.
Starting in 1968, Mike Love began studying Transcendental Meditation (TM) with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He even became a TM teacher in 1971. This experience influenced his later songs, which sometimes included themes about astrology, meditation, and nature.
In the late 1970s, Love led a band called Celebration for a short time. He also started working on his own music. His first solo album, Looking Back with Love, came out in 1981.
Mike Love has sometimes had disagreements with his bandmates. Many of his contributions to the band's hit songs were not officially recognized until the 1990s. At that time, he took legal action to get credit for songs he helped write. After Carl Wilson passed away in 1998, Mike Love was given the right to tour using The Beach Boys' name. He has continued to tour regularly with his version of the band and has released more solo albums.
In 1988, Mike Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Beach Boys. He has also supported many international charities, focusing on things like protecting the environment, helping with juvenile diabetes, and supporting music education.
Contents
Early Life and The Beach Boys' Start
Michael Edward Love was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 1941. His mother, Emily "Glee" Wilson, was the sister of Mary and Murry Wilson. Mike was the first of six children. His family later moved to the View Park area. He went to Susan Miller Dorsey High School and finished in 1959.
Mike Love often sang at family gatherings at his cousins' home in Hawthorne. These cousins were the Wilson brothers: Brian, Dennis, and Carl. It was at these gatherings that the unique sound of The Beach Boys began to form. Brian Wilson, who loved the vocal group the Four Freshmen, helped guide their harmonies.
At first, Brian played piano, and then his friend Al Jardine joined with his guitar. Carl Wilson, who admired Chuck Berry, also played guitar. The family was very close and spent a lot of time together.
Music Career
Forming The Beach Boys
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In the early days of the band, which was first called the Pendletones, Mike Love played a simple saxophone. He also became a key songwriter with Brian Wilson. To help write many of The Beach Boys' songs, Love was inspired by the lyrics of Chuck Berry. He also liked the songs written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant for the Everly Brothers, like "Devoted to You".
Carl Wilson once said that Mike Love helped a lot with the band's musical arrangements. He would suggest the "funkier" sounds that changed the rhythm and feel of the songs. Carl also said that Love, who loved doo-wop music, encouraged Brian to listen to black R&B records.
Changes in Music Style
In 1964, Brian Wilson started to change The Beach Boys' music away from just beach themes. Mike Love agreed, saying they wanted to explore new sounds and not just stick to the past. He is also credited with naming their famous album Pet Sounds (1966). When asked about his favorite Beach Boys album, Love chose Pet Sounds because of its complex music and deeper feelings.
However, there were also reports that Love was not always happy with the band's new musical direction. He wanted the band to keep making popular songs that would sell well. Despite some disagreements, Love continued to work with Brian on songs for albums like Wild Honey in 1967, which explored R&B music.
Love also felt that their record company, Capitol, didn't do enough to promote their changing sound. He believed they kept promoting The Beach Boys as a "surfing group" even after they released more complex music like "Good Vibrations" and Pet Sounds.
Transcendental Meditation
In late 1967, Mike Love became interested in the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his Transcendental Meditation (TM). This happened after the Beatles publicly supported TM. In January 1968, Love and The Beach Boys met the Maharishi in New York. He then invited Love to join The Beatles at a special training event in India. Love stayed there from February 28 to March 15.
While in India, Love planned a concert tour in the U.S. that would feature The Beach Boys and the Maharishi. The tour started in May 1968 but ended quickly because not many people came to the shows. Even though the tour didn't go well, The Beach Boys continued to support the Maharishi and TM. Mike Love became a TM teacher in 1972.
Later Work and "Kokomo"
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Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mike Love wrote many Beach Boys songs, including "Big Sur" (1973) and "Sumahama" (1978). In 1978, he helped start the band Celebration, which had a hit song called "Almost Summer". He also recorded solo albums, with his first one, Looking Back with Love, released in 1981.
In 1988, The Beach Boys had a huge hit song called "Kokomo", which reached number 1 in the U.S. This was special because it was the only number 1 hit the band had without Brian Wilson's direct involvement. Mike Love was nominated for awards for "Kokomo", including a Golden Globe Award and a Grammy Award.
Also in 1988, Mike Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the other founding members of The Beach Boys.
In the 1990s, Mike Love took legal action to get proper credit for many Beach Boys songs he helped write. He argued that he wasn't given credit for his early lyrics, which meant he didn't receive money he should have earned. He won this case, which helped him get recognition for his songwriting.
Recent Years
After Carl Wilson passed away in 1998, Mike Love continued to tour with The Beach Boys, along with Bruce Johnston and other musicians. He gained the rights to tour under The Beach Boys' name.
In 2011, Mike Love reunited with Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks for a new Beach Boys album and a 50th anniversary tour in 2012. After this tour, Love and Johnston announced that The Beach Boys would go back to their regular touring lineup without Brian, Jardine, or Marks.
Mike Love released his autobiography, Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, in 2016. He wrote the book to share his side of the story after many things had been said about him over the years. He has also released several more solo albums, including Unleash the Love (2017), Reason for the Season (2018), and 12 Sides of Summer (2019).
Personal Life
Family and Interests
Mike Love has been married to Jacquelyne Piesen since 1994. He has eight children from his current and previous marriages. He lives in Incline Village, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe.
Love is a vegetarian and continues to practice Transcendental Meditation. He also wears Indian Ayurveda rings and takes part in traditional Hindu ceremonies.
Besides being cousins with the Wilson brothers, Mike Love is the brother of former NBA basketball player Stan Love. He is also the uncle of NBA basketball player Kevin Love.
Public Views
Mike Love describes himself as a progressive. He has been seen with political figures like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. He has said that being friendly with someone doesn't mean he agrees with all their opinions. In 1992, The Beach Boys helped raise money for the Natural Law Party, which supported Transcendental Meditation.
In 2018, Love praised Donald Trump for his support of music. In 2020, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine encouraged fans to not support The Beach Boys' music because Love's touring band was performing at a hunting convention. Love stated that his group supports "freedom of thought and expression."
Charity Work
Mike Love has supported environmental causes for a long time. He spoke at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and at Earth Day 2000 in Washington, DC. He helped create StarServe, a program that encourages young people to help their communities. He also started the Love Foundation, which supports environmental and educational projects.
Love donated money to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. He has also helped raise money for the Lake Tahoe School in Nevada.
In 2010, Love contributed to an album for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He performed a benefit concert that raised a lot of money for children's hospitals. During The Beach Boys' 50th Reunion Tour, Love and the band worked with Operation Smile to raise money for surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate. In 2013, he received an award for his work in education and community service.
Awards and Honors
- 2014: Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award.
Discography
Studio albums
- 1981: Looking Back with Love
- 2017: Unleash the Love: Billboard Independent Albums – #37
- 2018: Reason for the Season: Billboard's Holiday Album Chart – #4 and Independent Albums Chart – #6
- 2019: 12 Sides of Summer
- 2023: Mike Love Not War
With Celebration
- 1978: Almost Summer: Music from the Original Motion Picture Score
- 1979: Celebration
- 1979: Disco Celebration
Other albums
- 1996: Catch a Wave (with Adrian Baker)
- 1998: Salute NASCAR (with Bruce Johnston, David Marks, and Adrian Baker)
- 2001: Summertime Cruisin (with Bruce Johnston and Adrian Baker)
Singles
- 1967: "Gettin' Hungry" b/w "Devoted to You" (both with Brian Wilson)
- 1978: "Almost Summer" b/w "Island Girl" (with Celebration) – #28 Billboard Hot 100
- 1978: "It's Ok" b/w "Lookin' Good" (with Celebration)
- 1979: "Starbaby" b/w "Getting Hungry" (with Celebration)
- 1981: "Looking Back with Love" b/w "One Good Reason"
- 1981: "Runnin' Around the World" b/w "One Good Reason"
- 1982: "Be My Baby" b/w "Teach Me Tonight"
- 1982: "Be True to Your Bud" b/w "Be True to Your Bud" (Instrumental) (with Dean Torrence; credited as Mike & Dean)
- 1982: "Da Doo Ron Ron" b/w "Baby Talk" (both with Dean Torrence; credited as Mike & Dean)
- 1983: "Jingle Bell Rock" b/w "Let's Party" (both with Dean Torrence; credited as Mike & Dean)
- 1983: "Jingle Bells" by Paul Revere & the Raiders b/w "Jingle Bell Rock" (with Dean Torrence; credited as Mike & Dean)
- 2006: "Santa's Goin' to Kokomo"
- 2007: "Hungry Heart"
- 2015: "(You'll Never Be) Alone on Christmas Day"
- 2017: "Do It Again" (with Mark McGrath & John Stamos)
- 2017: "Unleash the Love"
- 2017: "All the Love in Paris" (with Dave Koz)
- 2017: "Darlin'" (with AJR)
- 2018: "It's OK" (with Hanson)
- 2020: "This Too Shall Pass" (with John Stamos)
Images for kids
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Love, 1966
See also
In Spanish: Mike Love para niños
