R.I.P. Michael Meros

[surf patrol]

 

[Alan Smith]

<removed - sleeping while reading>

[Lee Marshall]

Hmmmm.  I must have seen Michael perform around 9-10 times....

Condlences to those who loved him and respected him.  I remain sorry for your loss.

[LeeDempsey]

Surf Patrol, welcome to the board.  There were several nice threads about Mike that were started at the time of his passing back in 2007, including:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4886.0.html

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,5380.0.html

To see all of the topics where Mike has been discussed, click on "SEARCH" up at the top of the page and type in "Meros."  

Lee

[bgas]

Surf Patrol, Better introduce yourself to the board, before Mikie has a cow

[surf patrol]

 

[filledeplage]

http://igotaround.com/remembering-mike-meros.html

please play video tribute to my dear friend -

Lovely tribute video and with some lovely and very "recognizable" BB fan-friends...

Mike was a very gifted guy...

[surf patrol]

 

[Lee Marshall]

I'm pretty 'average' at math...but I'd say it's your 3rd post of the year...and the year is almost done....so I hope there's more to come 'sp'.

I agree, much to Andrew's chagrin, that when Carl passed...things changed.  I haven't been to see the 'Beach Boys' since.  I would have gone for the 50th tour but when they played Toronto [and I lived 6 hours away] I was tied up and couldn't make the trip.  Now I've moved and the Mike version will be playing no more than 30 minutes from here next August.  I AM contemplating going.  It'd be for one last 'listen' to the group...although it really isn't the group.  That's the thing.  Do I mess with the golden memories?  Or should avoid messing with it and just continue to enjoy Brian's concerts?  I'll likely go.  But then again...Hmmmmmmm.  I'm betwixt and between.

I'm not a Mike/Bruce "hater".  I just enjoy my cake with ALL of the ingredients...or at least as many as are ALIVE...before I generally choose to eat it too.

The BEST 'live' album I've heard apart from the 'boys' and Brian's releases is Al's 'Live In Los Vegas'  Really-REALLY well done.  Can Mike do that?  I wonder? 

[filledeplage]

filledeplage -
this video tribute was created by Randy a longtime road crew member & friend of Mike's. 
The first segment of photo's were from his collection. All the newer photo's and video's were taken by me (except for 1 or 2 of Wojo's)
I filmed the last two shows  Mike ever played with the Endless Summer Band at Ridgefield Ct. and W. Hampton Ny. 7-28-2007.
Mike's wife Jane even sent me one of his BB tour jackets the next year after Mike's  passing.  Al knows I have it also, it hangs in my closet as a rememberance of a dear friend.  I couldn't even begin to tell you all I know .. most good and some bad but regardless I have the memories forever.

Hope you enjoy going to see Love's shows but  in my opinon it all ended when Carl died & Al left.
Today I enjoy seeing the other BB spin-off bands. ie. Surf City Allstars, Cal.Surf Inc, & of course Al's band.

Oh by the way California Surf band with original band members is booked in Ct. next May. I am told that other bookings may happen around New England in that time frame. Hope to see you there.

(this is my one and only post of the year )

Thanks for sharing that video! You know I see every version of this music whenever possible.  The Touring Band, Brian's, Al's and did see the Surf City Allstars.  If I know where they are, I go.  But, I guess I have to believe as in that Carl song, "Life is for the Living" that is on YouTube from Adult Child, that going on heals.  And there are opportunities to give tribute to those greats just by keeping alive the music. 

And, I also have an old BB tour jacket I got on ebay and I wear it, to shows, when it is weather appropriate and have a million giggles, as I do. 

Let me know via pm when the tix are available. 

Thanks for sharing that video to honor Mike! 

[kiwi surfer]

filledeplage -
this video tribute was created by Randy a longtime road crew member & friend of Mike's. 
The first segment of photo's were from his collection. All the newer photo's and video's were taken by me (except for 1 or 2 of Wojo's)
I filmed the last two shows  Mike ever played with the Endless Summer Band at Ridgefield Ct. and W. Hampton Ny. 7-28-2007.
Mike's wife Jane even sent me one of his BB tour jackets the next year after Mike's  passing.  Al knows I have it also, it hangs in my closet as a rememberance of a dear friend.  I couldn't even begin to tell you all I know .. most good and some bad but regardless I have the memories forever.

Hope you enjoy going to see Love's shows but  in my opinon it all ended when Carl died & Al left.
Today I enjoy seeing the other BB spin-off bands. ie. Surf City Allstars, Cal.Surf Inc, & of course Al's band.

Oh by the way California Surf band with original band members is booked in Ct. next May. I am told that other bookings may happen around New England in that time frame. Hope to see you there.

(this is my one and only post of the year )

Thanks Surf Patrol, very moving and a wonderful tribute to a heck of a nice guy. Tremendously talented too. I spent a little time with Mike. First post show Sydney Australia in 1998. A small group of us spent several hours in a pub (apparently he enjoyed visiting different pubs) and he regaled us with many tales never once saying a bad word about anyone. A few months later he was in New Zealand and really went out of his way to make my whole family welcome. In hindsight I wonder if he knew his time with the band was running out. Beats me. regardless, way too young for such a kind and gentle person. 

[Michael Edward Osbourne]

http://igotaround.com/remembering-mike-meros.html

please play video tribute to my dear friend -

Great tribute! My friends Mike & Elaine are in that video, too.

[Gregg]

Beautiful video tribute. Thanks so much for sharing!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mike in 2002 after the Carl Wilson tribute concert at UCLA. I had always enjoyed his playing with the Beach Boys over the years and happened to see him standing just a few feet away from me. So I walked up to him and introduced myself and said, as a fellow keyboard player, I was just curious how he got the gig with the Beach Boys. He looked at me a bit puzzled and said I could go inquire about the gig with so-and-so over there (I can't recall to whom he was referring - maybe the BB manager). He obviously misunderstood me. I was really just curious about his personal story, how he was so fortunate to get hooked up with what I considered the dream gig. I guess I was confused about what to say at that point, so I just said, "Oh, OK. Thanks."

Anyway, it was great to have that brief and somewhat awkward moment with Mike, even though I never got to hear his story.

[surf patrol]

 

[Gregg]

Thanks for clearing that up for me, surf patrol! That's the way those things typically work out - through a combination of talent and being in the right place at the right time. And that's funny...... you must have been in that group of people around Mike when I talked to him. Did he mention some dork was trying to get his old gig? 

My first Beach Boys show was about a year before Mike joined the band, and then I saw them a dozen or so times up until one of Carl's last shows in '97; so I saw Mike play a lot. One thing that sticks out in mind about his playing, besides his consistent musicianship, was the way he always raised his left hand and pointed his index finger in the air whenever he did one of his B3 solos. I always thought that was cool and kinda funny. Sorta like he was saying, "Check this out. Here I go!"

[Tony S]

I was at 2 of those Radio City gigs back in '79. Nice to know they were Mike's first shows. I remember the Here Comes the Night disco version they played and how poorly it was received. Also remember Dennis spilling a tray of beer or something all over the stage and Love looking furious about it. At that time without the internet, I didn't know what was going on behind the scenes in Beach Boy land with Dennis. Those were some shows!

[surf patrol]

 

[Peter Reum]

Mike  Meros was clearly an outstanding musician. He was a part of  one of the hottest of the Beach Boys bands. My sympathy goes out to his family.

[mikeddonn]

I don't get why the same poster started this thread a year ago and then posted the exact same thing again a year later.  People will think Mike has just died if they didn't know.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Gregg - I was there with Mike at that event....
Bruce got Mike into the band, they met in Santa Monica (i believe) in 1979. Bruce knew talent when he saw it. Mike has a degree in music from U of Maryland and came from a musical family growing up and played in various other bands including Leon Russell.

His first shows with the BB were at Radio City Music Hall in early 1979, he replaced Emo Peeler on keyboards. He also help Bruce improve his keyboard skills esp. in the new digital age.

He was an amazing musician and always wanted the best sound for the tour. He demanded the Hammond B3 onstage for the best sound but sadly after Carl died it was fazed out. Love's band doesn't have a B3 onstage anymore.

Billy Hinsche named Mike "The King of the Surf Keyboards" !   

luHv's band does have a nasty habit of "phasing out" things, like B3s, and talented singers and songwriters that were far superior to himself. And yes, whether kohkohDoe likes it or not, the untimely passing of Carl was the genuine "end" of the group. Ditto for Dennis.

[c-man]

Gregg - I was there with Mike at that event....
Bruce got Mike into the band, they met in Santa Monica (i believe) in 1979. Bruce knew talent when he saw it. Mike has a degree in music from U of Maryland and came from a musical family growing up and played in various other bands including Leon Russell.

His first shows with the BB were at Radio City Music Hall in early 1979, he replaced Emo Peeler on keyboards. He also help Bruce improve his keyboard skills esp. in the new digital age.

He was an amazing musician and always wanted the best sound for the tour. He demanded the Hammond B3 onstage for the best sound but sadly after Carl died it was fazed out. Love's band doesn't have a B3 onstage anymore.

Billy Hinsche named Mike "The King of the Surf Keyboards" !   

luHv's band does have a nasty habit of "phasing out" things, like B3s, and talented singers and songwriters that were far superior to himself. And yes, whether kohkohDoe likes it or not, the untimely passing of Carl was the genuine "end" of the group. Ditto for Dennis.

So - there were TWO genuine ends of the group: first when Dennis passed, second when Carl passed?

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

You could say that. Two out of three Wilsons gone and one that didn't tour. Wilsonless Beach Boys? I don't think so.

[filledeplage]

You could say that. Two out of three Wilsons gone and one that didn't tour. Wilsonless Beach Boys? I don't think so.

OSD - I am putting on my feminist hat.  Given that we all take our genetic makeup from a male and female parent, there is no cause to assert that proposition.  Mike Love had a Wilson mother.  He could easily be named Mike Wilson Love and has the same 50% genetic makeup as the Wilson surnamed brothers. 

The Wilson Brothers could just as easily used the name of Korthof Wilson.  Eg.  Brian Korthof Wilson or Dennis Korthof Wilson or Carl Korthof Wilson.  It is all the same 50% Wilson DNA. 

Merry Christmas! 

[surf patrol]

 

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Carl was loved by every backing band member and demanded perfection. That's why the best backing band was known as Carl's Band, it had all the right parts.  After Carl's death the "wheels" came off  with Al leaving and other's fired. That was the death blow and ended all the right parts.

Absolutely! The ultimate death knell and " Kohkohmization" and "Staymohziation" of what used to be. Thank god for Brian's incredible band.