From Rolling Stone.com:
Even Jeff Spicoli couldn’t have imagined a life this awesome: Wolfgang Van Halen, 17, spent last year on the road with his dad’s band Van Halen, playing bass on “Runnin’ With the Devil” and “Panama” to packed arenas — and he’s still on schedule to graduate from high school this June. “Wolfie had it the toughest on tour: he had three or four hours of [tutoring] every day, and then the gig,” says Eddie Van Halen. “I yanked him out of school for 11th grade, which is actually the most important year, because that’s what they go by for college. And the school said, ‘We’re not going to let him back in, if you pull him out, because we’ve never done that before.’ Well, first time for everything, dude, you know? They did let him back for 12th grade, because he wanted to graduate with his buddies.”
Wolfie plans to attend college at some point in the future, according to his dad: “He’s obviously going to Julliard or something like that — and they’ll take him at the drop of a hat, because he is ready. And the kid can act, too.” But for now? “He is a part of Van Halen. Permanently.”
That means Wolfgang is certainly a part of the band’s plans for a new album: In the current issue, Eddie Van Halen said he’s writing new songs for the next time Van Halen take the road. “I’ve got tons of music written, such a variety of stuff,” Eddie told Rolling Stone. “The essence of me is obviously there, and those drums, they’re always recognizable. But people expect a certain thing from Van Halen, and this isn’t exactly bang-your-head-against-the-wall stuff.”