Mike Love
A Biography

Mike Love hasn’t had a summer off in thirty-five years. As lead singer/co-songwriter of the legendary Beach Boys, the band sang about surfing but was working so hard, they didn’t have much of a chance to hang ten between gigs. Mike led the Beach Boys into the 90’s and is busier now than ever. Each summer, he tours with the band and headlines the California Beach Band who perform Beach Boys classics for Fortune 500 clients. He is a devoted husband and father and is currently putting endless energy into building a world-class recording compound and developing various business projects.

The deeply ingrained worldwide popularity of The Beach Boys is unparalleled and undisputed. Since The Beach Boys burst onto the scene alongside the Beatles in 1961, the band continues to sell out major concert venues, state fairs, theaters and sporting events throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. The Beach boys were voted the number one group in England at the height of Beatlemania in 1965. The songs “Good Vibrations” and “Kokomo” topped the charts as the band’s leading hits. “Kokomo” held the #1 spot for eight consecutive weeks in Australia, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, The Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, Denmark and Latin America. During the George Bush presidency Mike’s Love Foundation, along with Krafts’ General Foods, answered the President’s invitation to establish the first Point of Light. This program, dubbed StarServe, encouraged students nationally to take action and responsibility for their respective communities in service. Mike, along with the Beach Boys, is also a member of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.

Unlike many of his rock ‘n roll counterparts, Mike’s fame and productivity has not waned, but has ignited. Most recently, he spearheaded a remake of Beach Boys songs featuring some of the world’s top country recording artists including Willie Nelson, Lorrie Morgan, Jeff Schmidt of the Eagles, Garth Brooks and Junior Brown. The album is scheduled for release on River North Records in Summer 1996.

Also this year, Capitol Records is re-releasing the musically innovative “Pet Sounds” album with a promotional fanfare. However, the newest pea on his plate is his entree into the “eatertainment” business with his trademarked Mike Love’s Club Kokomo. The chain will feature a restaurant, nightclub and Kids Club as well as establishing a retail brand of signature merchandise.

An artist with a marketing mind, Mike, together with wife Jacqueline Piesen-Love, conceived the Club Kokomo idea last year to appeal to a family demographic. They felt that this market segment had not yet successfully been targeted by the Planet Hollywoods and Hard rocks of the growing “eatertainment” industry and immediately knew they had something unique to fill that niche. “Basically,” says Mike, “we wanted a place where we could take the kids and everyone could agree on the food and entertainment. Most importantly though, Club Kokomo intends to generate substantial proceeds by becoming a home for philanthropic organizations and supporters to heighten environmental and humanitarian awareness. This way, children and adults alike will share in the satisfaction of knowing the difference their visit to Club Kokomo make in the world. We knew that we could use the “Good Vibrations” of the Beach Boys persona and our recognition to capture the imagination of our baby-boomer fans who now have families. Our inspiration was to create a relaxed California/Caribbean atmosphere that serves up great food, world-class entertainment and a fun, safe, high-tech and education space for kids.” The Club Kokomo concept will be announced publicly for the first time at the Themed Restaurant and Nightclub Forum convention in Dallas on March 28, 1996.
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