John Stamos performed with the Beach Boys on Sunday at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Before the show, the actor was overcome with emotion talking about Beach Boys legend Mike Love, who is facing “serious health challenges.”
Stamos, 63, shared a carousel of images on social media with his “musical hero and mentor” before admitting he was “struggling” to put his feelings into words.
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“My beloved friend, father figure, musical hero and mentor, Mike Love, is facing serious health challenges,” he wrote. “We hope he’ll be doing what he loves for years to come, but we don’t know what the future holds. We have tonight.”
At Tuesday’s Hot Cuisine fundraiser for the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), Stamos told Fox News Digital it was his mission to get Love to the Ryman Auditorium for a performance of a lifetime.
“Our goal was to get him up at the Ryman this weekend. He wanted it,” Stamos said. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with him, you know, quiet time. We’ve been listening to music. … Doo-wop. He loves Doo-Wop.
“And I said, ‘You gotta tell me, do you really think you can do these shows this weekend?’ He said, ‘Yes, and I really want to.’ I said, ‘We’ll make it happen.’
“Everybody told him not to — doctors, his family — but it was something he wanted to do. He’s made all my dreams come true and all my wishes. So, I had to fulfill his wish, and we made sure that he got there and did a good job.”
SRF presented John Stamos with the Bob Saget Legacy Award, recognizing his steadfast support for scleroderma research and his commitment to following in Bob’s footsteps by shining a spotlight on scleroderma and raising funds toward a cure.
Love’s representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. It’s unclear what health struggles Love faces.
Stamos and Love’s son, Brian Love, delivered speeches prior to the show.
“One thing about him is he’s stubborn, and he’s steadfast, and he did not want to miss the Ryman. I mean, for good reason,” Brian said, via Variety.
“Look at this place. So, we are happy. We’re going to be positive. We’re gonna sing along. But I still remember something he told me when I was a child, and it stuck with me. I said, ‘Dad, why do you do so many shows?’ I mean, we are talking about a guy who’s done over 100 concerts a year well up into his 80s.”
“That’s just incredible, right? So, he told me, ‘Well, if you don’t do as many concerts, you don’t see as many towns, and then that means less people get to hear the amazing Beach Boys personally.’ So, he’s always cared for the small towns, the fairs. … This is obviously a much more well-known, beautiful venue. But he cares about the listener, and I think it’s such an honor to be part of that. And we’ve gotta live in the moment.”
Stamos said, “All we have is tonight really, and I think it’s going to be very, very special. Mike, he insisted on being here. … He’s done over 7,000 live shows. And tonight’ll be 7,422, I think exactly. I think that’s where we’re at. He’s counting. … We love you, and have the greatest night ever, and God bless you all.”
After the curtains opened, Love was already seated on stage, the outlet reported.
He sang in his seat along with his bandmates but did not do his lead vocals.
During the performance, the Beach Boys legend addressed concerns about his health, saying, “Obviously, I’ve been going through some health issues for quite a while. But I didn’t want to miss being at the Ryman with y’all.”
Variety reported that Love was helped up by Brian and Stamos at the end of the show as the song “We Are The Champions” by Queen played.
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In his social media post, Stamos acknowledged that Love “is a fighter,” and despite “doctors, family and friends urging him to focus on his health, he insists on being on stage.”
“He says he needs his band, the audience, his friends and drummer surrounding him to lift him up,” Stamos wrote. “I’ve played with Mike for 41 years. I never imagined how deeply it would affect me to see someone larger than life face something so human and fragile.”
The Beach Boys have been touring in support of the 60th anniversary of their groundbreaking 11th studio album, “Pet Sounds.”
Stamos noted that “the Mike Love we see tonight may not be exactly the Mike we’ve always known. But he’s still every bit the Mike we love.”
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“His lyrics, optimism, unforgettable hooks and more than 7,000 concerts have brought joy to generations,” Stamos wrote. “What he’s given me personally is immeasurable.
“Forty-one years of stages, airplanes, hotel rooms, laughter and moments nobody else saw. He married Caitlin and me. He’s shared experiences with my family, and now my son.”
The “Full House” star noted that Love didn’t only give him a spot in the band. He “gave me a place in his life.”
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“He taught me how to entertain, hold a stage, connect with an audience and make people feel something. I carry those lessons everywhere,” Stamos said. “He’s made me a better musician, entertainer and man.
“This life with Mike and the Beach Boys has become part of my identity. I’ve felt entrusted with being a steward of this extraordinary music, carrying it to new generations.”
Stamos wanted to “be completely present” performing with Love at the Ryman over the weekend and “hear every harmony, familiar joke and cheer. Feel that first chord hit and watch age, illness and time disappear. Just a bunch of guys making music together.”
He wrote, “Maybe the hardest part of loving someone is becoming so accustomed to the miracle of having them there that you forget it’s a miracle at all.
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“Tonight, I won’t forget,” Stamos wrote. “I want to cherish every second without feeling those seconds slipping away. That’s what I’m giving him.
“We don’t know what tomorrow brings. But we have tonight.”
Fox News Digital’s Larry Fink contributed to this report.
