Alex Van Halen has revealed a surprising detail about the lineup shakeup that led to Wolfgang Van Halen joining Van Halen in 2006.
During an interview from earlier this year with Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda, Alex said that he and Eddie Van Halen actually attempted to contact longtime bassist Michael Anthony before bringing Wolfgang into the band — but never heard back.
“We did call Mike because we owed him that,” Alex explained. “And we did call him and he just didn’t answer.”
Alex then added, “He had the same manager. Come on.”
The comments came during a discussion about how Wolfgang unexpectedly became part of Van Halen while still a teenager.
According to Alex, Wolfgang naturally drifted into the band while Eddie and Alex were jamming in the studio.
“One day Ed and I were playing and there’s this bass that comes in and it had a nice feel to it,” Alex recalled. “Behind the curtain it was Wolf.”
Alex praised Wolfgang for forging his own musical identity instead of simply trying to become “Ed Jr.”
“He decided he was his own man,” Alex said. “Everything that he’s done, we’re very proud of him.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Alex shared several other fascinating stories and observations from throughout Van Halen’s history.
Among the highlights:
- Alex said David Lee Roth was “a poet,” adding that Roth’s lyrics were “much deeper than people realized.”
- He revealed that there was some talk about Ozzy Osbourne potentially joining Van Halen in the early 2000s after Eddie and Alex met with Sharon Osbourne.
- Alex admitted that Van Halen III was “a difficult record,” saying there was “nobody steering the ship.”
- He confirmed that he and Steve Lukather are currently working on unreleased Eddie Van Halen recordings that were originally intended for a future Van Halen album.
- Alex also reflected emotionally on Eddie’s passing, saying, “There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about him.”
One particularly classic Alex moment came when discussing Van Halen’s early tours with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath.
“We were 10 or 15 years younger,” Alex laughed. “Every night you’re frothing at the mouth.”
He also praised Roth’s stage presence, saying Van Halen often “stole the show” because Dave had “a way of connecting with people.”
The wide-ranging interview runs over 50 minutes and focuses heavily on Alex’s memoir Brothers, his relationship with Eddie, Van Halen’s creative process, and the band’s long history.
Watch the full interview below.