Mike Love, the owner of the rights to the Beach Boys name, fired cornerstone members of the famous band this week, including Brian Wilson.
(Photo: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)Mike Love (3rd R) and David Marks (R) of The Beach Boys perform with Adam Levine of Maroon 5 (2nd R) at the 54th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., Feb. 12, 2012.Just as the Beach Boys 50th anniversary reunion tour is wrapping up in London this week, Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks are headed home for good following Love's decision.
"I'm disappointed and can't understand why he doesn't want to tour with Al, David and me," Wilson told CNN. "We are out there having so much fun. After all, we are the real Beach Boys."
Jardine and Marks share Wilson's discontentment with the firing as well.
"In order to preserve the validity of The Beach Boys as a whole, and not as a 'money saving, stripped down version' that only contains 1 original member, and 1 member that joined in 1965, we ask you to re-instate the 3 other members to the touring group for your final years performing," Jardine wrote on Twitter, which went on to accumulate over 2,100 signatures.
In a statement explaining the firing, Love said, "The 50th Reunion Tour was designed to be a set tour with a beginning and an end mark to a special 50-year milestone for the band."
The 71-year-old Love also discussed the decision with The Telegraph U.K., saying that money and avoiding "overexposure" were behind the firings.
"You've got to be careful not to get overexposed," said the Beach Boys owner. "There are promoters who are interested [in more shows by the reunited lineup], but they've said, 'Give it a rest for a year.' The Eagles found out the hard way when they went out for a second year and wound up selling tickets for $5."
In response to the shocking firing, Beach Boys fans have sounded off on Twitter along with signing the petition posted on Jardine's Twitter account to reverse Love's decision and restore the original lineup.
"Should they even be considered the Beach Boys anymore," asked Twitter user Thomas.
"You don't 'fire' Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys," wrote Enrique. "You form your own freaking band."
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