Guitarist Dweezil Zappa said Van Halen's 1981 album 'Fair Warning' marked the moment the band was firing on all cylanders. "For me that was the apex of the creativity of the band," said Zappa during an interview with Sunset Sound Records. "The sonic character of that record is what I wanted to hear more and more of." Zappa and host Drew Dempsey sat in Studio 2 at Sunset … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen News
Eddie Van Halen Honored With ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ By The National GUITAR Museum
The National GUITAR Museum has awarded Eddie Van Halen a "Lifetime Achievement" Award. Below is the press release: (NEW YORK, NY December 19, 2020): Every year for more than a decade, The National GUITAR Museum has given our “Lifetime Achievement Award” to a living guitarist who has contributed to the legacy of the guitar. The guidelines are … [Read more...]
Brian May Remembers Friend & ‘Star Fleet Project’ Bandmate Eddie Van Halen
EVH Photo Credit: Rudy Childs It was the moment the planets aligned for two otherworldly guitarists. It was the moment Eddie Van Halen and Brian May became lifelong friends. “A couple of days after I heard the news about Eddie [passing away on October 6th], I went back to ‘Star Fleet’,” May recently told Total Guitar. He was referring to the 1983 three-track mini … [Read more...]
Guitarist Blues Saraceno On Why He Almost But Never Golfed With Eddie Van Halen
Guitarist Blues Saraceno appeared on the latest episode of Dweezil Zappa's podcast Runnin' With The Dweezil and shared a story of the time in the early 90s Eddie invited him to play a round of golf. "I don't remember exactly what year it was but at some point I got invited to one of these T.J. Martell celebrity golf charity things," said Saraceno. "And you don't really … [Read more...]
New Van Halen Shirts!
Just in time for Christmas! Make their (your?) holidays merry with these new officially licensed Van Halen shirts, exclusive to Van Halen Store. Eight in all - something for everyone! All are exclsuive limited editions. And that's not all... 11 of their best selling shirts are back in stock. Everything Shown on Van Halen store is in stock and ships within one business … [Read more...]
Heartwarming Video of Eddie Van Halen and Jason Becker Emerges
Guitarist Jason Becker posted something amazing today; private, home video footage from the day that Eddie Van Halen visited him at his home, back in 1996. You can watch the two guitar legends spending time together in this previously unseen footage. But first, Jason Becker sets it up: "An amazing meeting took place on August 31, 1996. That’s when Eddie Van Halen spent … [Read more...]
Listen To Paul Gilbert Play David Lee Roth Vocals On Guitar
Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert appeared on Dweezil Zappa's "Runnin' With The Dweezil" podcast to discuss the influence Van Halen has had on his musical life. It turns out Eddie Van Halen's classic riffs aren't the only thing he enjoys playing. "Playing vocals on guitar - that's my hobby lately, and one of my favorite singers to copy is David Lee Roth on the guitar," said … [Read more...]
Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Warrior Soul, City Kids Members Release Eddie Van Halen Tribute; All Proceeds To Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation [VIDEO]
Musician/Producer Frank Meyer has assembled an international all-star lineup to record a Van Halen classic in tribute to Eddie Van Halen. “In A Simple Rhyme” was originally released on 1980’s 'Women and Children First' and Meyer’s cover is available at Bandcamp and all digital platforms today. The one-off project is a tribute to Meyer’s hero Eddie Van Halen and all proceeds … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Talks Eddie Van Halen Tribute Song “Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar & Grill”
Credit: Neil Zlozower Mention the smell of fresh sawdust on the floor and David Lee Roth is immediately taken back to his earliest memories of performing with his longtime bandmate Eddie Van Halen. "I actually walked past the door of a local drinking establishment and smelled the sawdust and like Proust with a lemon cookie, it triggered volumes of memory," Roth … [Read more...]
Watch Fan Halen Guitarist Play Every Riff From Van Halen 1 In 10 Minutes
Guitarist Derek Fuller has performed Eddie Van Halen's classic riffs more times than he can remember but this is one performance he'll likely never forget. The guitarist for the Van Halen tribute band Fan Halen stopped by Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood to perform every classic riff from Van Halen's 1978 debut album in just 10 minutes. "This is truly a bucket list for … [Read more...]
Documentarian Sam Dunn: ‘The Definitive Van Halen Story Is Yet To Be Told’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn says a Van Halen documentary remains the "Holy Grail" of stories yet to be told. Dunn (Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, Super Duper Alice Cooper) was asked by Death Angel's Ted Aguilar during an "Alive & Streaming" YouTube interview if he had a bucket list of documentary … [Read more...]
Dream Theater Members Talk Irreplaceable Magic Of Eddie Van Halen
Credit: Neil Zlozower During a recent appearance on the Talk Is Jericho podcast Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci and singer James LaBrie reflected on the impact of Eddie Van Halen's music. "We'll never get to see that magic [again]," said Petrucci. "There'll never be anyone that's the same as him that had that level. I don't know, I probably can't even name five guys … [Read more...]