The syndicated radio program In The Studio With Redbeard has released an episode devoted entirely to the classic Van Halen album released on this day in 1986 – ‘5150’.
“In 1985, the shock of David Lee Roth‘s announcement that he was leaving the lead singer slot of America’s most popular band, Van Halen, was equaled (but not eclipsed, interestingly) by the band’s announcement that multi-platinum rocker Sammy Hagar had agreed to fill the role,” wrote Redbeard on the official In The Studio website. “How did that musical merger happen? Why did Hagar, already a platinum-selling solo artist, even consider it? What were the risks/rewards for both? Find out In The Studio in my classic rock interview about 5150 with the late Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, original bass player/backing singer Michael Anthony, and the Red Rocker himself for their bold multi-million seller, which rapidly rose to the top-selling album in the US because of ‘Good Enough’, ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Why Can’t This Be Love?’, ‘Best of Both Both Worlds’, and two songs that the original Van Halen could never have pulled off, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Love Walks In’.
Ever since Eddie Van Halen passed away in October 2020 after fighting cancer for many years, I have been asked by media and fans alike about what Eddie was really like off stage. The answers are revealed here in these incredibly revealing series of interviews from brother Alex, from original Van Halen bass player/ singer Michael Anthony, powerfully and honestly from Sammy Hagar, and from Eddie Van Halen himself.”
Listen to the episode via Spotify below: