Credit: Neil Zlozower By VHND & contributing writer CJ Chilvers 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 look at the guitar as an instrument with unlimited possibilities. He introduced a myriad of new styles and sounds that will be scrutinized for … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen News
EVH Gear Sponsors Musicians Affected by Wildfires
A message from Fender & EVH Gear... "We are devastated by the fires across Los Angeles – a city that many of our employees and artist communities call home. We are struggling to process what our diverse and deep-rooted music scene has lost. We grieve alongside you. "To those affected: we are committed to finding immediate and impactful ways to support you, today … [Read more...]
Billy Sheehan On Edward Van Halen: ‘He Would Take My Phone Call When I Was Nobody’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Billy Sheehan says fame didn't matter to Edward Van Halen when it came to making friends in the music business. Below is an excerpt from Greg Prato's Ultimate Guitar article "Billy Sheehan Reveals How Eddie Van Halen Treated Him When He Was a 'Nobody,' Explains How Eddie Impacted His Career": The Van Halen member … [Read more...]
Dweezil Zappa’s Favorite Edward Van Halen Solo: ‘They Never Played That Song Live’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Dweezil Zappa is busting out a Van Halen rarity during his current tour - "Push Comes To Shove". During a recent interview, Zappa discussed the setlist for his current Rox(Postroph)y Tour. Dubbed the “Rox-Postrophy Tour”, Zappa is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his father Frank Zappa’s albums Roxy & … [Read more...]
Which EVH Solos Deserve (Even) More Love?
Credit: Neil Zlozower Premier Guitar's 100 Guitarists Podcast devoted an episode to the epic guitar solos by Edward Van Halen, particularly the ones that deserve even more love than others. Here's what hosts Nick Millevoi and Jason Shadrick posted along with the video episode posted to Premier Guitar's YouTube channel: "Naturally, every recording Eddie Van Halen … [Read more...]
When Van Halen ‘Jumped’ Head First Into The Synth Era With ‘1984’
By the year 1984, the synth era of rock music had reached its peak. Bands would at the very least incorporate the instrument to complement a song or two. More often than not, it paid off with commercial success. When it came to Van Halen's 1984 album, it was clear with the singles "Jump" and "I'll Wait" that Edward Van Halen was looking to do much more than add a touch of … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar: Alex Van Halen Ignoring The Second Era Of Van Halen Is ‘Blasphemy’ To Brother Edward’s Legacy
Sammy Hagar believes Alex Van Halen is not giving his brother Edward's musical legacy the justice it deserves by ignoring the Hagar era of Van Halen. Hagar's comments came after he posted a picture of himself and Edward from 1991 on Instagram. One fan posted: “My dad always said the Roth days were about the party; the Sammy days were about the music.” Another follower wrote: … [Read more...]
The Sammy Hagar Solo Track That Almost Made It To Van Halen’s ‘OU812’ Album
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...]
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...]
Watch Alex Van Halen’s Only On Camera Interview From Home
Alex Van Halen has given a new interview, this time from his home! Alex was interviewed by the Bringing It Back To The Beatles YouTube channel. In the video above, he talks about the book Brothers, how when he and Edward Van Halen first transitioned from piano, David Lee Roth joining the band, his last words to Edward, and more. … [Read more...]
Mike Rutherford Has Unreleased Music Recorded With Edward Van Halen
Credit: Rudy Childs 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, … [Read more...]
How Having Less Drove Edward Van Halen To Achieve More
Credit: Neil Zlozower 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 … [Read more...]