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...]
Van Halen News
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...]
System Of A Down Drummer John Dolmayan: ‘Van Halen Was Kind Of Like A Merging Of AC/DC & Led Zeppelin’
System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan says Van Halen was one of the few bands who could be inspired by Led Zeppelin yet still create their own sound. "I wanted to play drums before I knew who Van Halen was but Van Halen introduced a different style," Dolmayan said during a recent appearance on The Paltrocast. "I guess you could say some of the drumming was derivative of … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Releases New Song ‘Forgiveness’
David Lee Roth is spreading some forgiveness this holiday season. Or is he asking for some? He's gifted his fans with a new song "Forgiveness" to unwrap. Give it a listen, then discuss... "Forgiveness" Lyrics I took a long trip South on that whiskey trainI took Jesus Christ's name in vainI blew a fortune on cocaineAnd I caused my whole family heartbreak and shameAnd when I … [Read more...]
Shinedown’s Eric Bass Reveals Van Halen Album That Started His Musical Journey
Shinedown bassist Eric Bass says Van Halen's 5150 album started him on his journey toward becoming a rock and roll musician. "It was really Van Hagar first and then I backed into the older records [with David Lee Roth]," Bass said during a recent appearance on The Paltrocast. "I was born in the 70s. I'm a child of the 80s so my musical trajectory was just perfect for some of … [Read more...]
Mike Rutherford Has Unreleased Music Recorded With Edward Van Halen
Mike Rutherford says he recorded music with Edward Van Halen in the mid-80s and has the tape to prove it. He just needs to find it. "I think Eddie heard a song from my second solo album (1982's Acting Very Strange) which I sang," Rutherford [Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics] said during an appearance on My Planet Rocks. "And he rang me up and said, 'Will you do some writing?' I … [Read more...]
How Having Less Drove Edward Van Halen To Achieve More
A recent article by the entrepreneur website Inc.com highlighted Edward Van Halen's ability to turn less into much, much more. Here's an excerpt from the article The Mindset (and Science) Behind Eddie Van Halen’s Remarkable Success: How Less Becomes More written by Inc.com's Jeff Haden: Buried in Alex Van Halen’s new book Brothers (he spends a lot more time … [Read more...]
British Metal Veteran Nick Bowcott Shares Edward Van Halen Stories
Final Resonance TV's Van Halen Stories Podcast #48 recently featured an interview with Nick Bowcott of Grim Reaper, Marshall Amplification, EVH Gear, and Sweetwater. In his in-depth interview with the Van Halen News Desk's Jeff Goebel, Nick shares his personal experiences of not only seeing Van Halen in 1978 but also meeting them in a rather unique way in 1980. He also talks … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Collection Unveiled: Drumheads, Drumsticks, and Backstage Passes Now Available
If you missed out on Alex Van Halen's auction held earlier this year, don't worry - here's your chance to score a cool piece of Van Halen history from his private collection! Van Halen Store is proud to offer some of Reverand Al's personal Drumheads, Drumsticks [note that all Drumsticks have already sold out. Sorry!], and Backstage Passes. Most of these collectibles are now … [Read more...]
Why Edward Van Halen Was The King Of Rhythm & Riffs
Plenty of much-deserved praise has been given to Edward Van Halen for his extraordinary guitar solos but there were a few other special weapons in his arsenal. Ultimate-Guitar's Greg Prato has turned the spotlight onto Edward's unparalleled rhythm and riff skills. Below is an excerpt from Prato's article "10 Examples of Why Eddie Van Halen Was the Master of Rhythm Guitar and … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Talks Life and Death with Anderson Cooper
In an emotional interview, Alex Van Halen talks with Anderson Cooper about Eddie’s life and death and the communication he feels he still has with him. This is probably the most touching (and heartbreaking) Van Halen interview this year. About the series: Grief can feel so lonely, but talking about it, and listening to others share their grief experiences helps. In … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Drops New ‘Panama’ Performance Video
Is David Lee Roth hinting at a return to the stage? His latest video has us wondering. In the video above, Dave is singing along to a solo recording of the Van Halen classic "Panama". It's one of 14 songs he recorded at Hensen Recording Studio in 2022 with Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass, and Francis Valentino on drums. The video ends with the quote: "Don't love … [Read more...]