Beach Boys Lead Singer Mike Love Wins Right to Royalties on 35 Songs
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love deserves to be credited on 35 of the group’s songs and should get past and future royalties that could total millions of dollars, a federal jury decided Monday.
The jury found that band co-founder Brian Wilson and his lawyers failed to give Love his 30 percent share of a $10 million settlement Wilson won in connection with the sale of the band’s songs.
The verdict was reached after eight days of deliberations. The amount due Love will be determined when jurors assess damages in the next phase of the trial, which begins Wednesday.
″Well I’m disappointed with it. We’re trying to understand it,″ Wilson’s attorney, J. Michael Crowe, said of the 25-page verdict. ″We’ve not had a chance to look at it and analyze it.″
Love said outside court that he ″would like to get some compensation for all the songs I’m due to be credited for.″ He accused Wilson’s advisers of taking advantage of the musician, who is on medications for psychological disorders. Wilson didn’t appear in court.
Love also said he would like to reteam with Wilson, his cousin, to write songs.
″The fact is that if a healthy group is together with some creativity, millions of dollars can be made,″ he said.
Love, 53, sued his cousin in 1992, claiming he was deprived of songwriting credits on 48 songs, including hits such as ″I Get Around″ and ″409.″ During the course of the trial, the list was pared down to 35 songs, Crowe said.
In 1989, Wilson sued Irving Music, a division of A&M Records, to overturn the sale of the group’s music. According to Love’s lawyer, Wilson’s lawyers promised Love a share of the proceeds and credits for the songs in exchange for Love’s support in the lawsuit.
In 1992, Irving Music paid Wilson a $10 million settlement.
Earlier this year, Love settled a defamation lawsuit against Wilson and others in connection with Wilson’s autobiography, which stated that Love did not co-write such hits as ″California Girls″ and ″Surfin’ USA.″
Love and Wilson are listed as co-writers on about 30 other tunes.
The band, formed in the 1960s, had a string of hits about love, fast cars and beach life.
Wilson stopped performing 30 years. Love continues to tour with a revamped Beach Boys lineup.