Article Contributed by Shore Fire Media
Published on 2026-09-04
Photo credit: Brandon Marx
Today, three-time Emmy® Award-nominated actor, musician, bestselling author and producer John Stamos teams up with GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Richard Marx to release a new music video for “Take Care of California.”
Written by Stamos, songwriting partner Michael Gigante and producing partner Michael Campion, the song is a love letter to the state both artists hold dear, featuring Marx on vocals and Waylon Payne on harmonica.
Watch “Take Care of California”.
“California is beautiful, complicated, resilient and fragile—and it needs taking care of,” Stamos shares. “As a kid, I was inspired by The Beach Boys, Disneyland and Hollywood. Now we all call this place our home. My wife Caitlin and I have been fortunate to work with Habitat for Humanity, helping families and communities here at home, and that same spirit is at the heart of this song: love where you live, appreciate what it’s given you, and do your part to take care of it.”
Marx adds, “I became pals with John Stamos only in the last decade. I always appreciated his musical talent, and I think he’s a truly gifted actor. That he’s also as handsome as he is should make me hate him, but unfortunately, he’s too charming for that.”
Stamos explains, “When my buddy Richard Marx asked me to play on his new album, After Hours, I shared a rough mix of ‘Take Care of California’ with him. I may have hinted subtly, or not so subtly, that his voice would sound pretty great on it. He wasn’t born in California like I was, but his life was changed forever when he moved here. Thankfully, Richard took the bait, and the moment we added his vocal, the song became what I’d always heard in my head.”
“He played me a rough mix of this new song he wrote with his buddy Michael,” Marx explains. “I genuinely liked it and couldn’t get it out of my head. John said, ‘Great! I was hoping you’d like it ’cuz I’d really love you to sing on it!’ That was an easy yes. Now that it’s finished and out in the world, I believe this song should be the new state song for California.”
“I’ve spent a good part of my life traveling for work, and there’s always that moment when you come back and think, ‘This is home,’” Stamos adds. “It’s for people who love California the way we do—a love letter and simple reminder: if you love something, take care of it.”
About John Stamos
John Stamos is a three-time Emmy® Award-nominated television, film and theater actor, musician, bestselling author and producer with a career spanning many decades.
A gifted drummer, singer and musician, Stamos has toured, recorded and collaborated with the legendary band The Beach Boys for over 30 years.
Stamos stars alongside Lizzy Caplan and Lucy DeVito in the upcoming film Drag, about a routine robbery at a rural house that turns into a nightmare for two amateur burglars. The dark comedy thriller is produced by Jake DeVito, Lucy DeVito and Danny DeVito. It premiered to critical acclaim at SXSW and is scheduled to receive a wide theatrical release on January 29, 2027.
Stamos’ critically acclaimed memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, debuted on The New York Times bestseller list and was named one of Audible and USA Today’s best memoirs to read in 2023. The paperback edition was released on October 24, 2025.
His next book, Love from Above: A Story of Tiny Birds and Their Big Meaning, is co-authored with his son, Billy Stamos. Preorders are currently available ahead of its April 20, 2027, release from Penguin Random House.
Stamos will also be seen in the second season of the Netflix hit The Hunting Wives and is featured in the second season of Apple TV’s Palm Royale, created by Abe Sylvia.
About Richard Marx
Richard Marx is a GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer whose career has spanned four decades of chart success and creative reinvention.
With more than 45 million albums sold, one billion streams and 14 No. 1 singles to his name—including “Right Here Waiting,” “Hazard” and “Hold On to the Nights”—Marx is the only male artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the Top 5 on the Billboard charts. He is also one of only two artists, alongside Michael Jackson, to write a No. 1 song in four different decades.
Marx’s work extends far beyond his own recordings. He has written and produced for artists including Luther Vandross, Keith Urban, NSYNC, Barbra Streisand and Burt Bacharach.
His latest album, After Hours, featuring Rod Stewart and Kenny G, marked his first debut on the Billboard jazz charts during his 40-year career. The album received praise from The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard and more.
Marx also hosts the podcast Stories to Tell, with guests including Paul Stanley, Rick Springfield and Kenny Loggins. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Cuban-American television host Daisy Fuentes.
