Van Halen performing during their club days circa 1976 In memory of Eddie Van Halen The Los Angeles Times has reached into the archives to share its first ever mention of Van Halen. The band first arrived in the newspaper's print via advertisements that ran alongside the paper's music listings and reviews section which can be seen below: Van Halen earned its … [Read more...]
Greg Renoff Recalls Eddie Van Halen/David Lee Roth ‘Bromance’ For L.A. Times
David Lee Roth pays tribute to Eddie Van Halen during the last Van Halen concert (10/4/2015 at The Hollywood Bowl) Author Greg Renoff has been sharing his thoughts on the passing of Eddie Van Halen to many media outlets over the past week, including the Van Halen News Desk. Most recently he penned an in-depth article devoted to the legendary fire and ice chemistry … [Read more...]
Original Van Halen Bassist Mark Stone Passes Away
Later lineup of Mammoth: Mark Stone, Alex & Eddie Van Halen, David Roth Very sad news in the world of Van Halen today. Van Halen's original bass player, Mark Stone, has passed away from cancer. We've heard from his wife that, sadly, he's been in hospice recently. Then today, the news of his death has been confirmed by his brother on Instagram. Mark's history with … [Read more...]
Ted Templeman: ‘If I’d Tried to Put Sammy Hagar in Van Halen in 1977, I’d Have Made the Biggest Mistake in Rock History’
Van Halen's original producer, Ted Templeman One of the biggest misconceptions some people have about Van Halen's early history is that they believe the band's original producer, Ted Templeman, wanted to replace singer David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar before recording their first album. This isn't true. Or, at least, it wasn't true for more than a moment of time. To … [Read more...]
‘Van Halen Rising’ Author Greg Renoff Appears on Eddie Trunk’s ‘Trunk Nation’
Van Halen Rising has risen once again. Two and a half years after releasing his highly acclaimed book Van Halen Rising author Greg Renoff appeared for the first time on Eddie Trunk’s Sirius/XM radio show “Trunk Nation”. Renoff sat down with Trunk Wednesday afternoon (4/17/18) for a lengthy interview which took place at The Hard Rock in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the slim chances … [Read more...]
Killer Cover of Van Halen’s Unreleased ‘We Die Bold’
Jacob and Josh are back! And this time, with another full band Van Halen cover of an unreleased Van Halen gem! Premiering exclusively on the Van Halen News Desk, guitarist Jacob Deraps and drummer Josh Gallagher have released their cover of Van Halen’s 1977 demo, “We Die Bold,” with Jacob on guitar, bass, and vocals, and Josh pounding the drums. This unreleased Van … [Read more...]
Video: Gene Simmons on the 3 Kiss Songs Recorded with Van Halen Brothers
In the video above, Gene Simmons talks about the three never before released (and never leaked or bootlegged) KISS tracks which feature Eddie and Alex Van Halen. Simmons will soon release a massive, limited-edition box set called The Vault. Among its one hundred and fifty tracks are three long-lost KISS demo recordings that feature Edward and Alex Van Halen playing alongside … [Read more...]
40 Years Ago: Eddie Van Halen Records ‘ERUPTION’
It was exactly 40 years ago today that Eddie Van Halen recorded the wildly innovative instrumental, "Eruption." The date of Sept. 8th, 1977 was uncovered by Van Halen biographer, Greg Renoff, during his extensive interviews with Van Halen producer Ted Templeman. Here's an exclusive excerpt about the day "Eruption" was recorded, from the pages of Renoff's Van Halen … [Read more...]
The Vault Cracks Open: Gene Simmons To Release 1977 ‘Love Gun’ Demos Featuring The Van Halen Brothers
We've got an exclusive from Van Halen biographer Greg Renoff for VHND today ... some pretty exciting news! Here it is: The list of “Holy Grail” archival rarities that Van Halen fans dream of is a long one. Frequently wished-for items include early studio demos, film footage drawn from Van Halen’s 1981 performances in Oakland, and concert recordings from the band’s golden … [Read more...]
1975: A 20-year-old Eddie Van Halen Plays Acoustic Guitar at a Wedding
First, we want to thank Greg Renoff, author of Van Halen Rising, for unearthing this absolute gem of a photo! This was posted on the VHR Facebook page yesterday. In this photograph from 1975, a 20-year-old Edward Van Halen plays acoustic guitar at a wedding. The piano player is Kenny Smith, who went on to become a music industry sales guru. Kenny and Eddie were playing for … [Read more...]
‘Van Halen Rising’ Author Greg Renoff Interviewed on EVH Gear TV
Greg Renoff, historian and author of the best seller "Van Halen Rising - How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal" was the special guest on EVH Gear TV last Friday. Here's the episode, in case you missed it. Greg and host Eric Broadbent share a fun talk about the early and formative years of their favorite band. Get your copy of Van Halen Rising … [Read more...]
Watch ‘Van Halen’s Beginnings in Our Backyard’ (Updated with Video)
Van Halen Rising author Greg Renoff gave an excellent presentation today (Sat. April 29th) about Van Halen's early days on the campus of Pasadena City College. He shared unpublished photos that he couldn't include in the book and told a few tales about Edward, Alex, Michael, and David's stint as students at PCC. Watch the video above. Photos: Most photos here were … [Read more...]