Mike Meros died

[Beach Boy]

 

As some of you already know, Mike Meros passed away yesterday. In 1979, I asked Mike to join our band for recording and touring.
Mike was a great friend to all of us over the years and his musical ability was an amazing contribution.

Bruce Johnston
Montecito
December 27, 2007

He was just one year younger then my father.  I always liked Mike, I enjoyed his great keyboard skills. He, Ed Carter, Billy Hinsche, Matt Jardine, Bobby Figueroa and also Richie Cannata were all great players who made the Beach Boys sound so good onstage.

RIP

[STE]

No way! This is really sad and unexpected!  Does anybody know how it happened?

I met him once about 10 years ago and he was very kind, we spoke a little.
Another unsung hero of the BB world is gone.

 


STE

[Sheriff John Stone]

Very sad...I never met him, but he seemed like a really nice guy, always smiling. Mike added so much to the Beach Boys' live sound; I liked the way he used to interact with Dennis.

[Aegir]

Sucks, he was only 57.

Bruce seems really sad about it at BBB.

[Wilsonista]

This is a great shock to me. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Meros in 2006 after Hodadfest.  He was very kind indeed and had some great stories from his years w/ the BB to tell.  He was definitely an asset to the live band and to say that he will be missed is an understatement.

[Andrew G. Doe]

My understanding is it was a heart attack. Sad, sad news.

[adamghost]

I had the privilege of meeting him last year as well.  A very sweet and gentle man is how he came across to me.  This is very sad.

[MBE]

I got to talk to him once kind of an impromtu interview. Very forthright in his answers.

[49ersphil]

Very sad news.

[mikeyj]

I can't believe that he is gone. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the thread name. So sad for his family considering he was only 57, which is way too young. Another "member" of the Beach Boys story is now gone.. which seems to happen all too often over the last few years, but I spose it can sort of be expected...

R.I.P.

[the captain]

It is very sad.

This is also why it kills me to think that their true (Most true? I don't know how "true" any version can be.) story is going to fade away into relatively inaccurate snippets. The Beatles were wise to go into the Anthology project before too much more time passed, before they lost anyone else. While I love the Endless Harmony doc, it's just far too short. There should be an extended documentary on the Beach Boys, incorporating old and new interview footage alike. And ideally it would let the disagreements and controversies come through, with each guy presenting his opinions and observations. And I mean any- and everyone: Beach Boys, session musicians, live band members, crew members, management, etc. I don't need famous musicians saying "Oh, I love them." It's nice, but Pete Townsend, Glen Frey, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young...I don't care, at least at first. I would love something with real depth.

Dennis and Carl are gone. Chuck Britz is gone. Steve Douglas, Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco, Julius Wechtel and other Wrecking Crew musicians are gone. Murray and Audrey are gone. Landy is gone. Mike Meros is now gone. And sadly, the surviving members of the Wrecking Crew and the other Beach Boys are getting older. The time will come--relatively soon--when it's too late to do something like this. And we'll be trying to answer unanswerable questions, reading books that are either slanted in someone's favor or more accurate but limited in scope, watching docs that are puff pieces, or watching docs that are good, but too short.

[Jon Stebbins]

Mike was a great person, a generous friend and an amazing musician. I'll always remember him laughing his butt off... telling war stories with his musician friends and tearing up the keyboard at the Lost Beach Boy book launch earlier this year. I'm gonna miss the hell out of him. Thanks Mike for always coming through for me, and say hi to Dennis and Carl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKZq52UMAOM

[Wilsonista]

On what would have been the 24th anniversary of Dennis' passing.

[smile-holland]

On what would have been the 24th anniversary of Dennis' passing.

yep, first time on this board that this little footnote in Beach Boys history was totally forgotten...

 

[Mlondon]

Somewhere around here I have a great shot of Mike and Dennis with a girl my brother was "seeing" around that time (my brother used to run with Dennis and I don't mean jogging!) If I can find the photo I'll post it.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Was listening to Live In Knebworth last night, and, of course, it hit me when, during the bridge of "Be True To Your School", Carl says "Michael Meros on the organ".

And my favorite, during the instrumental bridge to "Surfin' USA", Carl yells out again, "Michael Meros on the organ -  owww". Good work, Michael. Good work...

[c-man]

Man, this is sad news.  I've been out of town and away from the Internet since last Thursday, and just found out.  What a great contribution Mike M. made to the BBs sound, from their Radio City Music Hall shows in March of '79, right up to 2000 or so...damn.

[Emdeeh]

There's a book of remembrance up for Michael Meros at
http://www.legacy.com/VenturaCountyStar/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=100383571.

[donald]

I saw him so many times with the band that I thought of him as one of the band, along with Billy H and Ed Carter.

What had Mike been doing these past few years?  Was he with Al's band along with Ed Carter et al?

Very sad news.  So young.