Credit: Benny Goodman Jason Becker is selling the guitar gifted to him by Eddie Van Halen in 1996 to pay for his ongoing care for ALS. Eddie gave the #69 Peavey EVH EVH Wolfgang guitar to Becker, diagnosed with ALS in 1989, during his emotional visit to Becker's home on August 31st, 1996. He signed it, with the inscription : "Jason. We will play guitar together in the … [Read more...]
Kip Winger On How David Lee Roth Influenced His Stage Performance
Credit: Neil Zlozower Take a bit of ballet, add a nice mix of Paul Stanley and David Lee Roth and you've got Kip Winger's stage performance approach. The Winger frontman and bassist stopped by the Paltrocast with Darren Paltrowitz to talk about the new Paramount+ three-part docuseries I Wanna Rock: The '80s Metal Dream. Paltrowitz asked Winger, who has a background in … [Read more...]
Def Leppard’s Rick Allen On Meeting Wolfgang Van Halen: ‘It Was A Really Wonderful Moment’
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen recently recounted his first encounter with Wolfgang Van Halen, calling it a wonderful moment. Allen, who was a recent guest on the "Paltrocast" along with recording artist Lauren Monroe, got to meet Wolfgang when Mammoth WVH opened for Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe at three shows in the UK and Ireland. "I was very fortunate to meet Wolfie's … [Read more...]
Steve Vai Says It Would Have Been Foolish To Compete With Edward Van Halen (VIDEO)
Credit: Neil Zlozower Steve Vai didn't feel the pressure of competing with Edward Van Halen when he became David Lee Roth's guitarist in 1986. That was simply because he never bothered to compete. "Having, I'll say 'the shadow' of Edward hanging over me, I didn't feel pressure," said Vai during a recent appearance on the Vintage Rock Pod. "If I would have felt … [Read more...]
The Fateful Encounter That Led To Edward Van Halen’s First Interview
Jas Obrecht, former Editor of Guitar Player Magazine (1978-1998), spoke in depth on Final Resonance TV's "Van Halen Stories Podcast" about his accidental meeting and first interview with Edward Van Halen in 1978 at The Day on The Green Festival Show. Edward himself referred to this interview as his "first interview." This fateful encounter captured a young Edward … [Read more...]
Watch Wolfgang Van Halen Debut New Mammoth WVH Single ‘Take A Bow’ (Featuring EVH-Inspired Solo) Live
Fan footage of Mammoth WVH performing the brand new single "Take A Bow" live for the first time has surfaced, and it's every bit as good as the studio version, most notably Wolfgang Van Halen's guitar solo. In the video above, filmed during Mammoth WVH's June 28th performance in Lisbon, Portugal, Wolfgang performs "Take A Bow" with his forthcoming EVH SA-126 … [Read more...]
What’s Your Personal Van Halen Six-Pack? (VIDEO)
Takin' a six-pack with you to the July 4th backyard party? How about a Van Halen six-pack? During a recent episode of That ROCKS!, hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson gave what they think are the six best Van Halen albums. After you watch the guys make their picks, post your top six list in the comments below! … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony Going Through Entire Van Halen Catalog, Ready For Tribute If It Happens (VIDEO)
If a Van Halen tribute ever happens, Michael Anthony will be ready. "I'm gonna be ready for anything that might happen," Anthony said during an appearance on THAT Rocks! with Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson. "I'm gonna go through all of our albums now. Stuff that I've forgotten, I'm gonna relearn. I'm gonna know everything in the Van … [Read more...]
Watch Neal Schon Pay Tribute To Eddie Van Halen With EVH Striped Guitar
As an homage to Eddie Van Halen, Journey guitarist Neal Schon has shared a video of himself freestyling on an EVH Striped Series guitar. "A little tribute to Ed," Schon posted to Instagram. "It was so amazing to be on Van Halen's first tour with him. I watched him annihilate every single night and was grateful I didn't have to follow him." View this post on … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Opens The Van Halen Gear Vault For Latest Mammoth WVH Single (VIDEO)
Wolfgang Van Halen has tapped into Van Halen history for the brand-new Mammoth WVH single "Take A Bow". An official lyric video for the near-seven-minute track can be viewed above. At the halfway mark is an electrifying solo featuring finger-tapping and phrasing very reminiscent of classic Van Halen. It's a song that will remain near and dear to Wolfgang. "It was the … [Read more...]
The Sammy Hagar Solo Album ‘Elevated’ By Eddie Van Halen Turns 36 (VIDEO)
Sammy Hagar celebrated the 36th anniversary of his 1987 album 'Never Said Goodbye' today, stating Eddie Van Halen's contributions helped elevate the music to another level. "Happy anniversary to I Never Said Goodbye! I still love this record today," Hagar posted to social media along with the official video for the album's single "Give To Live" (above). "I feel it was … [Read more...]
‘What Is He Doing?!’: When Brian May First Witnessed Eddie Van Halen Perform (VIDEO)
Recalling the time he first encountered Eddie Van Halen's "phenomenal" performance in 1978 as the opening act for Black Sabbath, Brian May shared his experience in a new video. In the clip above, May details how he had the opportunity to meet Eddie through Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. As a lead-up to the July 14th reissue of the three-song EP collection "Brian May … [Read more...]