By VHND & contributing writer CJ Chilvers Today marks what would have been Eddie Van Halen’s 71st birthday. Edward Van Halen gave the world a gift—four decades of musical genius. His approach to the guitar gave birth to an entire generation of guitar players who see it as an instrument with unlimited possibilities. He introduced a myriad of new styles and sounds that … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen News
Photos: Opening Night of Van Halen’s 1984 Tour
Van Halen kicked off their legendary 1984 world tour on January 18th — 42 years ago today! Michael Anthony, Neil Zlozower and Tim McCrum share their memories of that first show, below. McCrum also shares his photos from that night exclusively with VHND, and Eddie recalls how massive that tour was. A sold-out crowd of 11,628 people witnessed Van Halen's first show of the … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Is Done Being a ‘Punching Bag’: ‘I’m Not a Kid’
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Wolfgang goes deep on his great new album as Mammoth, (reluctantly) addresses his feud with David Lee Roth, reveals his weight-loss journey, and much more By Brian Hiatt Wolfgang Van Halen, who records as Mammoth, talks about his new album and much more in the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now. Listen to the Podcast. "It's as … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Kramer Ad’ Guitar Sells For $2,734,000 At Auction
Eddie Van Halen's iconic ‘Kramer Ad’ electric guitar has sold at auction for $2,734,000, making it one of the most sought-after guitars in history. This remarkable price makes it the sixth most expensive guitar ever sold at a public auction. Sold on October 24. In August, Sotheby's announced it would auction one of the most high-profile Van Halen guitars ever. Built in … [Read more...]
‘Van Halen: A Visual Biography’
A new Van Halen book was just published and is now available at Van Halen Store. Here are all the details: Presenting the NEW SOFTCOVER EDITION of Van Halen: A Visual Biography by Martin Popoff, following the now out-of-print hardcover release. (This edition showcases a stunning new cover photo of Eddie Van Halen.) This visually stunning book spans 224 pages. With roughly … [Read more...]
A Farewell to the King, Part 2
By Chris Gill [Originally written in 2020 for Guitar World. Part 1 is here. Here is Part 2, below:] My favorite interview with Ed was a cover story for Guitar Aficionado, where he invited me to his 5150 studio to view about 40 guitars from his collection. Ed told illuminating stories about each guitar, and I quickly realized he could find the songs lurking in any … [Read more...]
40 Years Ago: Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar First Perform Together
In a way, the birth of Van Halen Mach 2, "Van Hagar," was 40 years ago today. It was during the summer of 1985 that rock fans heard the devastating news that Van Halen and David Lee Roth had split up. There were rumors that the band was going to look for a new singer, but that's all that anyone knew. Embed from Getty Images It was … [Read more...]
The EVH ‘Super ’78’ Flannel by Dixxon
EVH and Dixxon Flannel Company ("Flannels That Don't Suck!") are thrilled to announce their second collaboration - the Eddie Van Halen SUPER '78 Flannel! Paying tribute to Eddie Van Halen’s first iconic version of the famous Frankenstein design, the Super '78. A black-and-white pattern inspired by a guitar and sound that redefined rock. This collab piece is custom-built … [Read more...]
Dressing Van Halen
Fleur Thiemeyer and David Lee Roth. Photo by Neil Zlozower Fashion Designer to the Stars, Fleur Thiemeyer, was recently interviewed on “Final Resonance TV” for the Van Halen Stories Podcast. In the interview, Fleur recalls being asked to work with Van Halen in 1978, just after the band released their first album. In this exclusive new interview, she uncovers her … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Says The Ghost of Eddie Van Halen Visited Him, Too
In August of 2022, Hagar told Ultimate Classic Rock that Eddie Van Halen visited him in a dream and helped him write a new song: "I remembered it. I got up in the morning and I wrote the song. I used the fuckin’ lick that he showed me in the song." And then, nearly three years later, the song, entitled "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight," was finally released, with Hagar joined by … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen’s 1982 Kramer Guitar Expected to Fetch $2M-3M at Sotheby’s Auction
A piece of rock history is set to hit the block. Sotheby's New York will auction Rocker Eddie Van Halen's 1982 Kramer electric guitar during the house's inaugural Grails Week from Oct. 21-28. According to estimates, the guitar, which was custom-built for the Van Halen star, is expected to fetch between $2 million and $3 million. A previous Sotheby's sale for a guitar owned … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen: Unearthed 1991 ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge’ Audio Interview
Jas Obrecht has just released another never-heard audio interview with Eddie Van Halen! From Obrecht's YouTube Channel Talking Guitar: Jas Obrecht's Music Magazine: Here is the world debut of one of Eddie Van Halen’s happiest interviews. On the day it took place he was celebrating the recent birth of his son Wolfgang, his relationship with Valerie was going strong, and … [Read more...]