A new video clip surfaced this week, from June 4, 1988. WTVJ reporter Robyn Carter interviewed members of Van Halen after their performance in the Monsters of Rock music festival at the Orange Bowl. This video is from the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. Enjoy the short clip, embedded below. … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen
Wolfgang Reacts To Alex Van Halen’s Drumming
Wolfgang Van Halen joins us in the Drumeo studio to celebrate the incredible legacy of his uncle, Alex Van Halen. In the video above, Wolf revisits iconic moments from Alex’s career—reacting to photos of his over-the-top drum kits, watching legendary drum solo footage, and—for the first time ever on camera—playing through eight of his favorite Van Halen tracks, including “On … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday, Alex Van Halen!
On May 8th, 1953, Alexander Arthur Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Holland. Later the family moved to Nijmegen, where they lived until they moved to the U.S. when Alex was about 9, through a government-incentive program to reunite families. Because the family spoke little English, Alex and Eddie formed a bond during this time that has lasted their entire lives. … [Read more...]
Producer John Shanks Details the Making of the Final Van Halen Studio Album
Super Producer John Shanks (Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers) sat down with Jeff Goebel on the 'Van Halen Stories' Podcast to discuss the making of Van Halen’s final record, A Different Kind Of Truth. Shanks walks through the sessions and reveals his mornings with Van Halen, and late evenings with David Lee Roth. For 6 months, John worked … [Read more...]
Steve Lukather Addresses Rumors of New Van Halen Music
Rumors of a possible new Van Halen album being in the works started circulating last week. And now, Steve Lukather chimes in a second time, hoping to set the record straight. First, the backstory: Reports emerged in the Dutch press last week, with De Telegraf [paywalled] Alex Van Halen claiming that a potential new Van Halen album is in the works, and he's asked Alex and … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Receives Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame Award [Video]
"I had the pleasure of meeting with David from Modern Drummer and my good friend Nicko in Florida this past month to collect this award, which commemorates my induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame." - Alex Van Halen's social media posts today. Congrats to our favorite drummer! … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Accepts 2024 Drumeo Awards [Video]
Alex Van Halen won Drumeo's 2024 'The Buddy Rich Award.' (Video below.) One of the most accomplished and well-known drummers of the 20th century, Buddy Rich is still a household name because of his virtuosic talents and his accomplishments as a bandleader. The recipient of this ‘hall of fame’ award has made their name synonymous with drumming over decades of excellence. … [Read more...]
When Van Halen ‘Jumped’ Head First Into The Synth Era With ‘1984’
By the year 1984, the synth era of rock music had reached its peak. Bands would at the very least incorporate the instrument to complement a song or two. More often than not, it paid off with commercial success. When it came to Van Halen's 1984 album, it was clear with the singles "Jump" and "I'll Wait" that Edward Van Halen was looking to do much more than add a touch of … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar: Alex Van Halen Ignoring The Second Era Of Van Halen Is ‘Blasphemy’ To Brother Edward’s Legacy
Sammy Hagar believes Alex Van Halen is not giving his brother Edward's musical legacy the justice it deserves by ignoring the Hagar era of Van Halen. Hagar's comments came after he posted a picture of himself and Edward from 1991 on Instagram. One fan posted: “My dad always said the Roth days were about the party; the Sammy days were about the music.” Another follower wrote: … [Read more...]
The Sammy Hagar Solo Track That Almost Made It To Van Halen’s ‘OU812’ Album
Sammy Hagar's solo song "Eagles Fly" could have ended up on Van Halen's 1988 album OU812 but it was voted down by Alex Van Halen. In a recent episode of his Storytime YouTube series, Hagar recalled how the song was initially introduced to the Van Halen brothers. “I’m at the studio,” Hagar explained. “I’m playing it for Ed, and Alex is … [Read more...]
John 5 On Van Halen’s ’78 Debut: ‘Without These Four Guys, It Wouldn’t Be The Same’
John 5 recently recalled the "shock" of hearing Van Halen's 1978 debut album for the first time. "I bought [Van Halen I] from the cover alone, because it said 'Gene Simmons', and he worked on the record," said the Mötley Crüe guitarist during a recent appearance on AXS TV's Vinyl Obsession podcast. "And I remember putting this on, and I think maybe this record was the one … [Read more...]
Watch Alex Van Halen’s Only On Camera Interview From Home
Alex Van Halen has given a new interview, this time from his home! Alex was interviewed by the Bringing It Back To The Beatles YouTube channel. In the video above, he talks about the book Brothers, how when he and Edward Van Halen first transitioned from piano, David Lee Roth joining the band, his last words to Edward, and more. … [Read more...]