So there really needs to be a book written about how many singers almost joined Van Halen. The title: OU Almost Joined Van Halen 2? We can add a chapter on Daryl Hall and this rumor, according to Hall, is true.
The legendary Hall & Oates singer was a recent guest on New York radio station Q104.3 and was asked by host Jonathan Clarke if he was, in fact, asked by Eddie to join the band back in 1985.
“Well, yeah (laughs). Actually, yes,” Daryl said. “I knew [Van Halen] really well. We actually shared some crew and things like that. Eddie came to a show with Valerie [Bertinelli] — this goes back, you know — and David had just left the band.
“Eddie said, ‘Do you want to join Van Halen, man?’ He was half-joking, but I think he was serious. I really do believe he was serious. I took it seriously. I went, ‘Meh, I think not. I think I’ve got my own s–t going on.'”
An interesting bit of Van Halen/Hall & Oates trivia comes in the song “Jump”. Eddie credited the Hall & Oates synth riff on the song “Kiss On My List” from 1981 as an inspiration for Van Halen’s future #1 single.
“That is correct,” said Hall. “That’s what he always told me. He said that inspired ‘Jump’.”
Below is audio of Hall’s comments from his Q104.3:
As fans know, Hall is not the only famous singer who was either rumored or reported to have been approached by Eddie to replace David Lee Roth in 1985. He joins Patty Smyth of Scandal, Steve Perry and Eric Martin of Mr. Big on that list. In later years, more big-name singers were said to have been asked to join Van Halen including Mitch Malloy, Sass Jordan, Sebastian Bach and Ozzy Osbourne.