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What Is Mike Love’s Net Worth?
Mike Love, a multifaceted American musician, singer, songwriter, and activist, has accumulated a substantial Mike Love net worth, estimated at $80 million. This financial success is largely attributed to his pivotal role as a co-founder of the Beach Boys, alongside his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine.
Love’s contributions extended beyond vocals; he co-wrote iconic hits like “I Get Around,” “California Girls,” and “Good Vibrations.” Although initially underrecognized, his songwriting prowess led to a lawsuit against Brian Wilson in the 1990s, seeking credit for over 30 songs. Following another legal settlement, Mike Love secured the exclusive right to tour as “The Beach Boys,” solidifying his financial stake in the band’s legacy.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1941, Mike Love is the eldest of Emily and Edward Love’s six children. He completed his high school education at Dorsey High School, graduating in 1959. Initially uncertain about his career path, Love gained work experience pumping gas and briefly joining his father’s sheet metal company. During this period, he honed his vocal skills during family gatherings with his cousins, the Wilsons.
When his father’s company encountered financial difficulties, the Love family relocated to Inglewood, bringing them closer to the Wilsons. Before his ascent to fame, Love showcased his musical talent by playing saxophone in a garage band called the Pendletones. His collaboration with Brian Wilson, neighbor Gary Usher, and local DJ Roger Christian proved instrumental in crafting the band’s original compositions. Drawing inspiration from Chuck Berry and the songwriting duo Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Love infused doo-wop and R&B influences into the group’s distinctive sound.
The Beach Boys: Rise and Internal Conflicts
The Pendletones eventually evolved into the internationally acclaimed band known as the Beach Boys. However, internal discord arose in 1964 when Brian Wilson sought to steer the band away from their signature surf music theme. Mike Love reportedly resisted this shift, leading to accusations, including those from session musician Van Dyke Parks, that he contributed to the collapse of the Beach Boys’ album “Smile.” Love has consistently refuted these allegations. In 1967, he resumed his co-writing duties on the album “Wild Honey,” the Beach Boys’ inaugural foray into R&B.
Later in 1967, Mike Love embraced Transcendental Meditation (TM) and attended public appearances by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Paris, New York, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following the latter appearance, the Maharishi invited Love to join the Beatles at a TM training seminar in Rishikesh, India. While in India, Love devised a US concert tour featuring both the Beach Boys and the Maharishi as headliners. The tour commenced in May 1968 but was cut short after only five shows due to disappointing audience turnout. Despite the tour’s failure, Love remained a fervent supporter of the Maharishi, even becoming a TM initiator in 1972.
The 70s and 80s: Continued Success and Legal Battles
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Love contributed significantly to the Beach Boys’ discography by writing the music and lyrics for numerous tracks, including “Big Sur” and “Sumahama.” A career highlight came in 1988 when he and the band achieved a US number-one hit with “Kokomo.” The song earned Grammy and Golden Globe Award nominations. In the same year, Love and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, solidifying their legacy in music history.
In the early 1990s, Mike Love, along with Al Jardine and members of the Wilson family, initiated a defamation lawsuit against Brian Wilson concerning claims made in his recent memoir. The case reached an out-of-court settlement, marking the beginning of several legal actions Love pursued against Wilson. Subsequently, Love prevailed in a legal proceeding, securing proper authorship credit for numerous songs he co-wrote for the Beach Boys. Mike Love argued that Murry Wilson had deliberately avoided crediting him for his early lyrical contributions, thereby denying him royalties. He was awarded co-writing credit for 35 songs and received $13 million to compensate for unpaid royalties. However, Love maintains that he remains uncredited for over 40 of the band’s songs that he claims to have co-written.
Following Carl Wilson’s passing in 1998, Love continued to tour with the Beach Boys, having acquired exclusive rights to tour under the band’s name. Further legal disputes ensued, with Love suing former bandmate Al Jardine for using the name during his tour. Although the courts ultimately sided with Love, Jardine appealed the decision, seeking $4 million in damages. The case was eventually resolved out of court.
Anniversary Tour, Autobiography, and Other Music Projects
In 2011, Love reunited with Jardine, Johnston, Brian Wilson, and David Marks for both a new Beach Boys album and a 50th-anniversary tour. However, following the conclusion of the tour, Wilson, Jardine, and Marks were dismissed from the band. In 2016, Love released his autobiography, “Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy,” aiming to address alleged inaccuracies that had circulated about him over the years.
While still a member of the Beach Boys in 1978, Love co-founded the band Celebration, which achieved a top-30 hit in the US with the single “Almost Summer.” A few years later, Love released his debut solo album, “Looking Back with Love.” He waited until 2017 to release a follow-up album, “Unleash the Love.” In the following year, Love released a third solo album titled “Reason for the Season,” featuring both original and traditional Christmas music. A fourth solo album, “12 Sides of Summer,” was released in 2019.
Personal Life, Activism, and Real Estate Holdings
Since 1994, Love has been married to Jacquelyne Piesen. He has two children with her and six others from his four previous marriages. Love resides in Incline Village, Nevada. He has been actively involved in various charitable endeavors, advocating for causes such as music education, environmentalism, and youth diabetes.
In July 2009, Mike Love acquired an expansive 18,500-square-foot mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, for $4.65 million. Situated on 3.4 acres within an exclusive gated community, the estate boasts 12 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, a resort-style pool, expansive lawns, and a tennis court. He listed the property for $8.7 million in April 2020 and ultimately sold it for $7 million in March 2021.
Since 2002, Mike Love’s primary residence has been a mansion in Incline Village, Nevada. The 2.5-acre property features a 17,000-square-foot mansion situated within a gated golf course community. He acquired the land for the property in 1979 for $435,000 and completed construction on the mansion in 1997. As of today, the estimated value of this home is at least $20 million. Mike Love also owns a 15+ acre estate on the Hawaiian island of Maui near the town of Hana. In the mid-1980s, he purchased a 14-acre estate for $1.25 million. In 1989, he acquired the adjacent property for $1 million from Ann Morrow Lindbergh, the widow of aviator Charles Lindbergh. These real estate holdings significantly contribute to Mike Love’s net worth.
