Mike and Bruce - Pre 2012

[mikeddonn]

I believe that, had Brian Wilson gone to Mike shortly after the final UK show in Sept 2012, and said something to the effect of "Hey that tour was a blast, let's do it again next summer," then something would've happened.  

But, you're dealing with Brian Wilson here. Certainly the fans on this board are familiar with his history, and Mike Love especially is, too. Actually, Mike Love was directly affected by Brian's decisions - or non-decisions - for 54 years. On Monday Brian wants to continue to tour, but what about when he wakes up on Tuesday? Sometimes you/me/mw/they have to take what Brian Wilson says at a particular time and place, process it, and then try to make sense out of it. Apparently Mike put a lot of merit in the email Brian sent to him saying "No more touring".

I agree you Sheriff.  And had he gone to Mike and said these things instead going to third parties saying "I feel like I was fired," we might not still be talking about the end of C50 today.

And, I agree with you. Once Brian's handlers started to get involved, things took a turn for the worse. Doe anybody actually think Brian himself sat down and typed the email to Mike? Does anybody actually think that Brian himself made the decision to make that statement to the press? Does anybody actually think Brian himself wrote a single word of that statement to the press?

You are right, KDS. Brian talking to Mike directly about "issues" would've been the best way to handle things. And, hey, maybe they did. However, maybe it wasn't even necessary. Mike and others had the opportunity to observe Brian's behavior a few times a week. After 75 shows, Brian had trouble walking to and from the stage. Brian needed assistance getting in and out of his piano chair. There were reports of friction with the setlists. There were reports of friction with the wives. Sometimes common sense has to be applied. Would've it been better for Brian to extend the tour yet again, what, to 100 shows, or have Brian return home to his children, deli, and dogs? Do you ever wonder what Brian REALLY wanted after 75 shows?

You know what's funny about the "ending" of the 2012 tour? Supposedly, so many things were wrong, so many people were unhappy, so many opportunities were missed. Yet, and correct me if I'm wrong, not a single person did a single thing to change it.

Sheriff, reference the set-list friction.  I SAW it firsthand prior to the C50 Cleveland Ohio show in middle of June 2012.  My wife bought us M&G/Sound check tickets for the show. Fantastic experience. After 7 or 8 songs Brian yelled over to Mike, lets do Marcella.  Mike responded "we" don't know Marcella.  Brian says, "Mike, my guys know Marcella". So...then everyone stops for a moment and the principals make their way, along with Totten, over to Brian's piano.  A lively discussion went on for a minute or so, not yelling, but it seemed opinionated to me with Mike saying a lot during that short time.  It wasn't a yelling match by any means and even being in the first row, I couldn't make out what was being said. But observed alot of tension. 

Also during the sound-check, Mike was on the phone ALOT when he wasn't part of a song being practiced. I thought this was strange at the time and have thought about it alot since, as I've read all the threads since the breakdown of C50.  No way of ever knowing but one just wonders if by June 2012, the breakup at the end was already in the cards.

One final event from the sound-check. Totten kept Al over at the end to practice the end to Help me Rhonda.  Somehow the previous night at the Cincinnati show, Al screwed up his ending and Scott wanted him to practice. A disagreement between the two occurred on how it should be played at the end. Finally Scott says to Al.  "Al, this is how we play it NOW" and he walked away.  Al stayed, practiced it a few times....took off his guitar....looked down at everyone and just shook his head and walked off.  Again in retrospect, it was just very sad to see in person knowing what we all know now.

I did get to shake Al's hand at the M&G.  Mike was very personable to my wife as we had the picture taken.  He also wanted to know at what show I had bought my Beach Boys hat.  Kind of strange in retrospect, but I think he knew could tell it was from an M&B tour. 

It was a great evening but looking back, did I see stuff that, now having 3+ years of reading these threads, that was the beginning of the end.

Great post, thank you!

Regarding the hat.  Mike asked me the same thing in 2001!  Maybe he thinks someone is selling his secret stash to fans! 

[Emily]

Is anything incorrect here?

-other than the evidence of a rumored email, the statements about the end of the tour indicate that BW was willing to continue but ML was not.
-there was tension, probably in both directions, during the tour.
-when the tour ended there were press releases that basically aired their dirty laundry in public.
-since then, there's no indication that any of them have made an effort to work together again.

Without regard to anyone's motives or judgments about how right or wrong or good or bad some choices and actions and words were, would you say that the above is true?

To your four points:

1. True

2. Difficult to say. Depends on who you ask and which stories you hear. They certainly put a pretty good face on it and everybody (both the 5 BBs and the backing band) put on a stunning show. Undoubtedly some awkwardness, and most likely tension. But it may have been the sort of "one side stewing and not saying anything directly to anybody else." Bad management was a major culprit here.

3. The only actual "press release" issued regarding the end of the tour came from Mike's camp, clearly but rather poorly-timed and coldly letting people know that post-September 28th, any "Beach Boys" shows would not include Brian, Al, and David. As many have said, this statement was needed if Mike was going to continue on his own (which is probably why Brian's camp asked Mike to make such a statement). But it was not a "BRI" nor a "50 Big Ones Productions" statement, nor anything actually signed off by all members. It wasn't a unified, graceful "The End" from the band. It was a "don't ask for your money back if you go to a Beach Boys show and Brian isn't there" statement. The two statements from Mike and then Brian came in the form of "letters" sent to the LA Times. Mike seems to have been motivated by technically/legally-incorrect reports that he had "fired" anyone from the band. Both letters were de facto press releases of course, but technically "Letters to the Editor" or something along those lines. They weren't issued as press releases and distributed to all media outlets. Media outlets obviously picked it up from LA Times anyway.

4. In terms of all five members working together, true. I don't think anyone has proposed another full reunion album, tour, or even show. Mike apparently put invites out to all four of the others for his Ella Award in early 2014, and apparently a concert promoter for Mike's tour asked Al and David to play a Jones Beach show with Mike's band in the summer of 2014. But they understandably aren't pursuing another reunion given the current climate. I'm not sure what the impetus would be for such a project at this stage. A new, GOOD manager might propose something. But frankly, since Mike (unlike Brian and Al) doesn't seem to place the inherent quality of all of them being together above some sort of other incentive to be reunited, I'm not sure why he would agree to another reunion, unless BRI votes to revoke his license or something drastic like that.

Thanks. That was really helpful.

[Cam Mott]

The idea that Mike walked away from C50 is fan-tasy as I see it. There were no offerings for continuing C50 in 2012 to walk away from.  He, just like Brian, were expecting to take up the offers for 2013 or later after C50 ended, which is both of them understanding C50 had an end which was before any of the offers were for. Again, not walking away by either of them.  Mike asked for the 2013 offers, in writing no less, so they could be considered.  Again, not walking away.

If promoters were deceived by some misleading and bad press into dropping their offers that is not Mike walking away anymore than it is Brian or Al walking away.

What I don't understand is if BRI wanted to continue, why not seek offers and unanimity or majority rule?

[Jim V.]

Yeah guys, Ted Cruz is right. Mike didn't wanna take any time off from the reunion. He was totally cool to jump back into it in 2013.

Except that he was the guy talking up the fact that supposed "promoters" were telling him that the group should, "give it a rest for a year."

Apparently "giving it a rest" means touring under the same name ALL THE TIME and then not returning to the thing you were "resting."

[Emily]

Either way, to risk wrath, I don't see anything wrong with not continuing a tour that you don't want to continue. I don't really feel that it's owed to the fans.
I think, in terms of being reasonable people, the squawking to the press and public was the biggest misstep.
I understand that disappointed fans will be upset, but sometimes one is disappointed without someone really doing something wrong.
I also understand that BB fans have a lot of grievances and that one likes to air one's grievances (see the squawking to the press).

[Jim V.]

Either way, to risk wrath, I don't see anything wrong with not continuing a tour that you don't want to continue. I don't really feel that it's owed to the fans.

I agree with you 100% on that.

However, do you think someone should be able to end The Beach Boys as a true, artistically valid ongoing concern to tour with the group's name on their own? Is that "fair"?

Because basically what Doctor Love did was say, "I don't wanna be the in The Beach Boys anymore. So I'm quitting and taking the name with me."

He quit The Beach Boys so he could leave and have "The Beach Boys" be what he wanted it to be, and not the other guys.

[Emily]

Either way, to risk wrath, I don't see anything wrong with not continuing a tour that you don't want to continue. I don't really feel that it's owed to the fans.

I agree with you 100% on that.

However, do you think someone should be able to end The Beach Boys as a true, artistically valid ongoing concern to tour with the group's name on their own? Is that "fair"?

Because basically what Doctor Love did was say, "I don't wanna be the in The Beach Boys anymore. So I'm quitting and taking the name with me."

He quit The Beach Boys so he could leave and have "The Beach Boys" be what he wanted it to be, and not the other guys.

My own personal opinion, which sadly no one at BRI heeds, there is no touring group since 1997 that ought to use the name "The Beach Boys".

Brian Wilson has established himself more strongly as a solo artist and ML/BJ are really touring as The Beach Boys Remnants rather than as independent artists, so I can see where using the BB name would matter more to them than it would to BW. I think it's possible that BW prefers to not use the BB name and as long as the others do, he gets income from that as well, right? Though I'd think by now none of them really need to worry about income.
I also think it's more than possible that BW's more content with his own separate show, in the end. I think there's probably some stress in the big shebang.

I don't know... there are a lot of BB related things I get worked up about, but this isn't one of them. Just me, I guess.

[Marty Castillo]

Mike chose not to continue touring with Brian, Al and David. Which begs a question:

Would it be possible for Brian and Al to end the touring license to Mike? Would they need Carl's estate to go along with the decision to avoid a stalemate?

[jeffh]

I don't understand all of the " hate " toward Mike regarding that tour. It was supposed to be for 50 concerts. He agreed to play a couple of dozen more. That seems very kind in my opinion. After that he wanted it to end , so he could do his own thing . Nothing wrong with that. Of course he was booking Mike & Bruce concerts during the Reunion Tour . Promoters demand  concerts be booked well in advance , so they can book other shows and advertise the events properly. I don't think Mike did anything wrong. He just wanted it to end , and that was his perrogative.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Would it be possible for Brian and Al to end the touring license to Mike?

Of course it's possible, but it ain't gonna happen. Brian Wilson isn't going to give up the existing agreement - getting paid for doing absolutely nothing. He's in this licensing agreement for the $$$$$$$$$. Show me the money.

I have a question for you, Marty. If part of the licensing agreement did NOT include Brian getting a cut from every show Mike Love performs, do you think Brian would've voted "yes", and do you think Mike would still have the touring license? Sorry, that was two questions...

[Emily]

I don't understand all of the " hate " toward Mike regarding that tour. It was supposed to be for 50 concerts. He agreed to play a couple of dozen more. That seems very kind in my opinion. After that he wanted it to end , so he could do his own thing . Nothing wrong with that. Of course he was booking Mike & Bruce concerts during the Reunion Tour . Promoters demand  concerts be booked well in advance , so they can book other shows and advertise the events properly. I don't think Mike did anything wrong. He just wanted it to end , and that was his perrogative.

Well, I don't see it as any more kind for him to continue any more than it was mean for him not to continue.

[SMiLE Brian]

Would it be possible for Brian and Al to end the touring license to Mike?

Of course it's possible, but it ain't gonna happen. Brian Wilson isn't going to give up the existing agreement - getting paid for doing absolutely nothing. He's in this licensing agreement for the $$$$$$$$$. Show me the money.

I have a question for you, Marty. If part of the licensing agreement did NOT include Brian getting a cut from every show Mike Love performs, do you think Brian would've voted "yes", and do you think Mike would still have the touring license? Sorry, that was two questions...

That agreement is nothing compared to the money these guys are worth. Plus Mike is probably scamming them out of what an agreement should truly be worth. Actually respond to this instead of posting and hiding afterwards.

[ontor pertawst]

Yeah, how ridiculous when they try to boil it down to "but Al and Brian really want that HUGE FAT CHECK for sitting on their ASSES DOING NOTHING." Yeah except letting Mike profit on a lifetime of their work and brand name, minimizing their importance whilst still mixing in maudlin video montages and "tributes,"  in exchange for what, a few crumbs? That sh*t wouldn't cover BW's pet food bills for the year.

It's more inertia, legal muscle, endless agony and bitterness such a move would cause. In their 50s? It'd happen. Early 70s? No way. Life's too short. Mike won and has excellent lawyers, he got a sweetheart deal that lets him live out his sunset years avoiding his family and playing casinos. He beat two dead cousins, his beloved "Cousin Brian," and Al Jardine. Yay Mike! The leader! Mr Positivity! Callin' the shots, picking the venues, ruling the setlist, pointing at people. No messy huge band to cut into his profit. No whiny Jardines wanting to throw in a folk song, no having to accomodate the composer of most of the music having his own needs. Not even having to put up with his son looking bored. Doin' it for the people. For the fans. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts! Er, wait not that bit.

 I don't think there will be a shakeup until the principals are dead and the estates are fighting over licensing the Jeff Foskett Boys.

[Marty Castillo]

I guess the reason I asked the question is that Brian and Al would seem to have the ability to force Mike to come back to the negotiating table if they raised the possibility of pulling the touring license. I doubt the license granted is without end.

[Wirestone]

I guess the reason I asked the question is that Brian and Al would seem to have the ability to force Mike to come back to the negotiating table if they raised the possibility of pulling the touring license. I doubt the license granted is without end.

Only four voting members of BRI. Two would not be able to pull the license. Indications are that at some point in the oughts it was granted in perpetuity. As long as Mike abides by the terms, it's his.

[Wirestone]

Would it be possible for Brian and Al to end the touring license to Mike?

Of course it's possible, but it ain't gonna happen. Brian Wilson isn't going to give up the existing agreement - getting paid for doing absolutely nothing. He's in this licensing agreement for the $$$$$$$$$. Show me the money.

I have a question for you, Marty. If part of the licensing agreement did NOT include Brian getting a cut from every show Mike Love performs, do you think Brian would've voted "yes", and do you think Mike would still have the touring license? Sorry, that was two questions...

Unadulterated piffle, SJS, and you know it.

Brian Wilson is a single voting member in BRI. Mike has an ironclad agreement to use the name, voted on in the oughts, which means that short of every voting member of BRI deciding to suspend the licensing terms, it's his. Even if Brian and Al wanted to persuade Carl's estate to vote with them, Mike would sue them in a heartbeat if they even thought about taking the way the license.

As for the supposed money BW makes from Mike's touring, we've worked it out on the board -- and had it confirmed by sources close to BW. He brings in roughly $100,000 a year from Mike's shows. A drop in the bucket for a man of his means, and money I'm sure that he and Melinda would gladly forfeit if Mike gave up the name.

EDIT: The number I actually posted earlier this year was about a quarter-million dollars per BRI participant, not $100,000. I misremembered, and this is my bad.

[CenturyDeprived]

Would it be possible for Brian and Al to end the touring license to Mike?

Of course it's possible, but it ain't gonna happen. Brian Wilson isn't going to give up the existing agreement - getting paid for doing absolutely nothing. He's in this licensing agreement for the $$$$$$$$$. Show me the money.

I have a question for you, Marty. If part of the licensing agreement did NOT include Brian getting a cut from every show Mike Love performs, do you think Brian would've voted "yes", and do you think Mike would still have the touring license? Sorry, that was two questions...

If Mike was going to threaten a prolonged, viscious lawsuit, perhaps yes, Brian might have wanted to avoid a lawsuit, and Mike still might have gotten his way. Aside from the legit songwriting lawsuit, Mike's other suits against Brian seem to be loaded with bitterness and smack of bullying to me. I could see a suit which threatens THE single most important thing to Mike besides oxygen becoming the most bitter suit of all. Everyone knows this and nobody wants endless legal fees at this point.

[Rob Dean]

Yeah, how ridiculous when they try to boil it down to "but Al and Brian really want that HUGE FAT CHECK for sitting on their ASSES DOING NOTHING." Yeah except letting Mike profit on a lifetime of their work and brand name, minimizing their importance whilst still mixing in maudlin video montages and "tributes,"  in exchange for what, a few crumbs? That sh*t wouldn't cover BW's pet food bills for the year.

It's more inertia, legal muscle, endless agony and bitterness such a move would cause. In their 50s? It'd happen. Early 70s? No way. Life's too short. Mike won and has excellent lawyers, he got a sweetheart deal that lets him live out his sunset years avoiding his family and playing casinos. He beat two dead cousins, his beloved "Cousin Brian," and Al Jardine. Yay Mike! The leader! Mr Positivity! Callin' the shots, picking the venues, ruling the setlist, pointing at people. No messy huge band to cut into his profit. No whiny Jardines wanting to throw in a folk song, no having to accomodate the composer of most of the music having his own needs. Not even having to put up with his son looking bored. Doin' it for the people. For the fans. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts! Er, wait not that bit.

 I don't think there will be a shakeup until the principals are dead and the estates are fighting over licensing the Jeff Foskett Boys.

Sorry BUT that is probably the most miss-informed load of utter bollocks I have ever read on ANY forum

[ontor pertawst]

Sorry BUT that is probably the most miss-informed load of utter bollocks I have ever read on ANY forum

Fair enough, but the word you're looking for is misinformed. Stop being so misinformed about being misinformed!

You found someone on the internet with a different opinion than yours, congrats. What exactly are you disagreeing with? That I think they probably won't revisit the licensing agreement until the principals are dead? That BW doesn't make much off of Mike Love's touring? Mike won. I don't know what the problem is. He gets to call the shots and got a helluva good deal out of the other guys.

It comes with a certain amount of scorn from folks online, any look at the comments section of any article about the Beach Boys post-C50 would tell you that! All in all, still not a bad deal. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN.

[CenturyDeprived]

I'm saying, imo, it will eventually be revealed that it doesn't matter because there was no vote one way or another by BRI which is on each and every board member.  Your opinion is something else,  that's fine.

Why would Mike have brought up the denied "room" issue in the media repeatedly, if not in part for Mike wanting Brian, Melinda (who I'm sure he blames), and the world to know that this was part of why the whole C50, in the manner it went down, was a dealbreaker for him? That grievance was clearly A part, not necessarily THE part, but not a negligible part of why the whole thing didn't continue. If it was completely, absolutely unrelated to why the reunion ended, it wouldn't have been brought up by Mike, unprompted, in that context.

Wouldn't you agree that the guys (not just Mike) have some communication issues with each other?  How does a scenario where Mike *gets what he wants*: the room scenario, specific critical accolades (about how vital Mike specifically is incredibly great and underrated)...how do these hypothetical things make Mike *less* enthusiastic about at least making more of an effort to talk about band stuff with Brian? How does that scenario not at minimum help facilitate an extra conversation or two that *could* have at least led to a better ending than what we got?

You think the exact identical, unchanged scenario, complete with the LA times back-and-forth letters/rebuttals between Mike and Brian, would have happened under these circumstances? Yes or no, and why? I am specifically trying to understand how you could possibly agree with that, unless you avoid answering the question.

[Rob Dean]

Sorry BUT that is probably the most miss-informed load of utter bollocks I have ever read on ANY forum

Fair enough, but the word you're looking for is misinformed. Stop being so misinformed about being misinformed!

You found someone on the internet with a different opinion than yours, congrats.

Ok, spot on for my poor English - Sorry
I have no problems at all in people having a different opinion to mine, that concept provokes (albeit) intellectual debate.
However I get really pissed off about individuals conjecture when none of us are party to actual facts. 

[lee]

Sheriff, reference the set-list friction.  I SAW it firsthand prior to the C50 Cleveland Ohio show in middle of June 2012.  My wife bought us M&G/Sound check tickets for the show. Fantastic experience. After 7 or 8 songs Brian yelled over to Mike, lets do Marcella.  Mike responded "we" don't know Marcella.  Brian says, "Mike, my guys know Marcella". So...then everyone stops for a moment and the principals make their way, along with Totten, over to Brian's piano.  A lively discussion went on for a minute or so, not yelling, but it seemed opinionated to me with Mike saying a lot during that short time.  It wasn't a yelling match by any means and even being in the first row, I couldn't make out what was being said. But observed alot of tension. 

Also during the sound-check, Mike was on the phone ALOT when he wasn't part of a song being practiced. I thought this was strange at the time and have thought about it alot since, as I've read all the threads since the breakdown of C50.  No way of ever knowing but one just wonders if by June 2012, the breakup at the end was already in the cards.

One final event from the sound-check. Totten kept Al over at the end to practice the end to Help me Rhonda.  Somehow the previous night at the Cincinnati show, Al screwed up his ending and Scott wanted him to practice. A disagreement between the two occurred on how it should be played at the end. Finally Scott says to Al.  "Al, this is how we play it NOW" and he walked away.  Al stayed, practiced it a few times....took off his guitar....looked down at everyone and just shook his head and walked off.  Again in retrospect, it was just very sad to see in person knowing what we all know now.

I did get to shake Al's hand at the M&G.  Mike was very personable to my wife as we had the picture taken.  He also wanted to know at what show I had bought my Beach Boys hat.  Kind of strange in retrospect, but I think he knew could tell it was from an M&B tour. 

It was a great evening but looking back, did I see stuff that, now having 3+ years of reading these threads, that was the beginning of the end.

Reading that really rubs me the wrong way. It's ok for Brian's band (who made up most of the entire C50 band) to learn songs like Still Cruisin', Kokomo and Ballad of Ole' Betsy but Marcella shouldn't be played because Mike's two band members don't know it? Tough sh*t. Learn it. There were five surviving members of The Beach Boys on that tour and each and every one of them deserved to have a say in what songs should be performed. To have a reunion celebrating 50 years of music only to perform a greatest hits show (mostly consisting of a songs from 3 or 4 years) wouldn't have made sense and would have been a HUGE wasted opportunity.

No offense but who is Scott to tell Al how the end of Help Me Rhonda will be performed? He may have been the musical director but Al is a Beach Boy. He should show more respect for a Beach Boy. If the Beach Boy who sings the lead of that song wants to end it a certain way, then end it Al's way. Change your way of doing things for one tour. Then when the touring version of Mike's band goes back on the road, go back to how you end it. I just think that's absurd and it's a shame that fans who paid to sit in on that soundcheck had to witness crap like that. I would have been livid.

[ontor pertawst]

Well, its the same reason they were all pissy about the cantina version of Heroes & Villains and so loathe to include Our Prayer or Summer's Gone... So what, tough sh*t learn it indeed! Honor the guy's accomplishment and those other guys for playing it and learn some more parts!

But in retrospect aren't we glad they threw in Our Prayer and Summer's Gone a few times... sure made sense in that context and I hope one day we see/hear the London recordings undoctored and don't let Joe Thomas OR Mike Love's autotuner near 'em.  

[Autotune]

1. Someday we'll learn what the issues were between the BBs guys and their wives. I'm sure minimal issues led to major squabble.

2. The setlist deal is (seemingly) a non-issue, as they seemed to accomodate just about everything Brian and/or Mike wanted. Perhaps it was part of the agreement that Mike was in charge of setlists.

3. Al doesn't seem to hold grudges about Brian nixing Waves of Love.

4. Mike does have an issue about how he wanted certain things to be, or how he was told things would be, and how they ended up being.

5. By the end of the way, Brian found out he wanted to keep touring with Mike. Alas it was too late.

6. I'd kill to see a new reunion. To see a new BB album come out. To hear a brand-new Brian Wilson rocker with a Mike Love lead. Seems far from possible, but then a reunion looked utopian by early 2011.

7. If none of this happens, I'm glad for all we've got. And for what a great year 2012 was.

[Marty Castillo]

This interview gives me little hope of a reunion:  http://www.examiner.com/article/beach-boy-alan-jardine-on-help-me-rhonda-and-working-with-brian-wilson

ESC: The 50th anniversary tour of 2012 was such a big success. I'm sure a lot of fans were disappointed when it ended after only some 70 shows. Do you see any chance of the band reuniting again in the near future?

AJ: I doubt it. Mike pretty much put the screws on the reunion. So I'd says it's not going to happen until East meets West (laughs). You know, I should never say "never," but it doesn't seem likely. On the other hand, I'm still singing pretty good, and Brian's doing remarkably well, considering all he's been through. I mean, it's all truly a miracle.


By the way, this quote was pretty Mike Love-esque:

ESC: It's been fairly well documented that Carl and Dennis were very heavily into drugs. Do you think meditation helped you avoid falling into the same destructive lifestyle?

AJ: Well, Dennis was just a shipwreck waiting to happen. I was never into that lifestyle in the first place. Learning meditation gave Mike and I something to do besides, you know, ... smoking dope ... which we never did, anyway. The Beatles, for some reason, kept on smokin' and dopin', even though they were meditating. John dropped out (of the meditating) right away, and probably Ringo too, but I know Paul and George kept meditating. Carl, by the way, did meditate, but couldn't beat the cancer.