Beach Boys Member Quits After 61 Years

Bruce Johnston, a member of The Beach Boys for over sixty years, has announced his departure from the group. Johnston, who is 83 years old, joined the group in 1965, originally filling in for Glen Campbell, who, in turn, acted as a replacement for the songwriter and co-founder Brian Wilson, who quit touring due to mental health struggles associated with the constant traveling.

In a statement shared with Rolling Stone on Thursday, Johnston revealed he is stepping away from the group — but has no plans to retire. "It's time for Part Three of my lengthy musical career!" Johnston told the publication. "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."

Johnston went on to reveal he plans on doing more speaking engagements in addition to music, and will be collaborating with actor John Stamos, who has sporadically performed with the group since 1985.

"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," Johnston's statement continued. "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!!'" he wrote. Johnston added, "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!!"

Mike Love is now the sole remaining member of the group's original line-up. Brian Wilson died last summer at the age of 82, a year after his dementia diagnosis was made public. His brothers, Dennis and Carl Wilson, died in 1983 and 1998, respectively. Al Jardine formally quit the band after Carl's death in 1998, but has made selected appearances alongside the original line-up, such as their 50th-anniversary tour in 2012.