Beach Boys Member Bruce Johnston Leaves Touring Band After 61 Years

Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston — who joined the group in 1965 when Brian Wilson stepped away from the road to focus on studio work — is leaving the touring unit after serving the better part of six decades, and performing somewhere in the ballpark of 6,000 concerts. This leaves Mike Love as the last classic-era member still in the road band.

“It’s time for Part Three of my lengthy musical career!” Johnston tells Rolling Stone in an exclusive statement. “I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what’s coming!!! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again. In addition, I’m currently working on developing a speaking-engagement chapter of my career — inspired in part by Cary Grant, who long ago made a similar move after his movie career. With a ton of help designing what I speak about from John Stamos, I’ll be doing appearances and events of my own. I might even sing ‘Disney Girls’ & ‘I Write The Songs!!’

“I am excited to join the Beach Boys for performances on special occasions and will see everyone at The Hollywood Bowl as we celebrate our Nation’s 250th Birthday!!” he continues. “This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon. I am forever grateful to be a part of the Beach Boys musical legacy.”

Mike Love shared his own statement with Rolling Stone: “Bruce Johnson is one of the greatest songwriters, vocalist, and keyboardist of our time. We’ve had the honor of his performance and participation for many many years with the Beach Boys. Change is always promised in life, today we find ourselves in a chapter of change, but not an end. Bruce shifts his focus on what he does so well which is songwriting and recording. I personally look forward to collaborating in the studio with Bruce in the very near future. I am very supportive of Bruce and I have every confidence that he will produce great music. I am delighted that Bruce will join the band on special occasions and when his schedule permits including The Hollywood Bowl performances celebrating the 250th Birthday of our great nation. I love & respect Bruce Johnston.”

For the past 28 years, with the notable exception of the 2012 reunion tour, Johnston has been the only OG member of the band to tour with Love in the Beach Boys. He also wrote several Beach Boys songs, including “Disney Girls,” “Deirdre,” and “Tears in the Morning.” Johnston briefly left the group in 1972 to pursue outside projects, and during that time, he wrote the Barry Manilow smash hit “I Write The Songs.” But he came back to the Beach Boys in 1978, and stuck around until playing his final gig with them in January of this year.

Taking his place in the band is Chris Cron, a supremely gifted vocalist who fronts the Beach Boys tribute act Pet Sounds Live. As you can see from the above video, he’s able to recreate vintage Beach Boys vocal parts with stunning precision. He began quietly sitting in with the Beach Boys in late February, though he still has shows booked with Pet Sounds Live when the Beach Boys are inactive.

Founding Beach Boy Al Jardine, meanwhile, is continuing to play shows with Brian Wilson’s former backing band that center around the 1977 LP The Beach Boys Love You. (Jardine has re-dubbed the group the Pet Sounds Band. They have no connection to Cron’s Pet Sounds Live Band.) They’ve been playing the vast majority of The Beach Boys Love since July 2025, and they finally did the whole thing on February 21 at a special show at the United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles. The highlight was the live debut of “Let’s Put Out Hearts Together,” where Marilyn Wilson — Brian Wilson’s first wife — sang her part from the album for the first time since she laid down the original vocal part 50 years ago.

Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band resume their tour on April 11 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, New Jersey. In June, he’s bringing the show to Australia and New Zealand.

Mike Love’s Beach Boys resume live activity on March 22 at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. They have dates on the books through August, including a three-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl on July 4th weekend, where Johnston is slated to make a guest appearance.