From a snowstorm concert in September to being the subject of an Eddie/Alex debate to visiting the hallowed 5150 Studios, guitarist Damon Johnson has plenty of Van Halen stories to tell and he shared them all during a recent appearance on Final Resonance TV. Back in 1995, Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper, Blackstar Riders) was the lead vocalist and guitarist … [Read more...]
The ‘Crazy’ Highs & Lows Of David Lee Roth’s Vocals [VIDEO]
This YouTuber is Goin' Crazy for David Lee Roth's vocals! The YouTube channel Crazy Singing releases a series of videos celebrating "the most impossible vocal lines and skills of all time" by the most iconic singers in rock history including Robert Plant, Steve Perry, Paul McCartney, Prince, Janis Joplin and more . The most recent video (above) spotlights both the super low … [Read more...]
Guitarist Damon Johnson Recalls The Life Changing Night He Saw Van Halen In 1980 [VIDEO]
Credit: Neil Zlozower Guitarist Damon Johnson says the night he first witnessed Van Halen in concert, it literally left him in tears. Johnson (Brother Cane, Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper, Blackstar Riders) was a recent guest on Final Resonance TV and shared the story of the time he first saw Van Halen in concert. It was on August 4th, 1980 at the … [Read more...]
Joe Satriani On Eddie Van Halen’s ‘No Rules Apply’ Approach To Music [VIDEO]
Credit: Rudy Childs Joe Satriani says when it comes to creating music, rules should never apply, and nobody understood that more than Eddie Van Halen. During a recent interview with FaceCulture, Satriani praised Eddie's improvisational skills, especially when it came to composing music on guitar. "[Eddie] figured out a way to write these really fun songs, but they were … [Read more...]
Valerie Says Eddie Was With Wolfgang In Spirit At Grammys
Wolfgang Van Halen appeared at the 2022 Grammy Awards with his mom Valerie Bertinelli and girlfriend Andraia Allsop Sunday night. There was one other family member there in spirit - Wolf's dad Eddie. "I feel him so strongly right now. He's here with us. He is," Bertinelli told PEOPLE on the red carpet before turning to her son: "I'm not gonna make you cry too, baby. But … [Read more...]
WATCH: Wolfgang Van Halen Performs ‘Distance’ Acoustic, Solo For First Time In Concert
Wolfgang Van Halen performed solo and unplugged for the first time in concert last night, performing his hit single "Distance" during Mammoth WVH's concert in New Jersey. During the band's gig at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, Wolfgang took center stage to deliver a raw, personal rendition of the song he wrote as a dedication to his dad Eddie. Part of Wolfgang's … [Read more...]
Donn Landee’s EVH Guitar Miking On ‘Diver Down’ Revealed! [VIDEO]
Veteran engineer Bill Jackson shared one of Donn Landee's guitar recording techniques during a recent visit to Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles! Jackson spent quite a bit of time working with artists at Sunset Sound including Prince. While there, he said he liked to study the techniques of other engineers who were working at Sunset Sound at the time. One of those … [Read more...]
The Story Of Kurt Jefferis’ ‘Lost Weekend’ With Van Halen
On this day in 1984, Kurt Jefferis won a “Lost Weekend With Van Halen” MTV contest out of more than 1 million entrants. This is his story! When MTV announced its "Lost Weekend With Van Halen" contest in early 1984, the network received over a million postcard entries for a chance to spend three days with the band during their 1984 tour. The lottery couldn't have … [Read more...]
When David Lee Roth Got Stuck On A Bridge…And Decided To Jog To His Radio Appearance!
Credit: Ed Yarb/YouTube Come hell or highwater, David Lee Roth will show up for his interview. Even when the bridge over those very waters isn't working. This story takes place circa 1988 while Roth's tour landed in Florida. To promote the upcoming show, Roth was scheduled to appear on WYNF-FM's Ron & Ron Morning Show in Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, Roth's limo got … [Read more...]
Sunset Sound Discovers Hand-Written Mic Setup For ‘Van Halen II’ [VIDEO]
Credit: Neil Zlozower Cue up the Indiana Jones music, Sunset Sound's Drew Dempsey has just discovered a priceless Van Halen artifact! Dempsey recently posted a video to the Sunset Sound Recorders YouTube channel in which he shares "one of the most amazing documents ever." In his hands is the hand-written microphone set up for the tracking of 1979's Van Halen II, which … [Read more...]
Should ‘Without You’ Have Been Left Out Of Van Halen’s ‘Best Of Both Worlds’ Compilation?
On this day in 1998 Van Halen released the single "Without You", the very first to feature Gary Cherone on lead vocals. The track debuted at number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Yet, when Van Halen released their Best Of Both Worlds compilation in 2004, "Without You" was not included among the 36 "best" Van Halen tracks. Should it have been? Let's first go … [Read more...]
‘You Can Mess With Us, But Not With Our Fans’: Two Times Van Halen Stood Up For Their Fans [VIDEO]
The YouTube channel Rock N' Roll True Stories has released a video recalling two times Van Halen stood up for the fans and gave the big ole "FU" to authorities in the early 90s. Both stories took place in 1992 while Van Halen was on tour promoting their 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The first occurred when the band played at the Five Seasons Center outside Cedar … [Read more...]