Van Halen

Latest about Van Halen

A comped shot of Desmond Child, Eddie Van Halen and Dave Lee Roth with two women, looking like he's interrupting them.
"Maybe I didn't like the strippers enough…" What happened when Desmond Child worked with Van Halen

By Phil Weller Published

Hitmaker Desmond Child gives a unique insight into Dave Lee Roth's unique working methods in the 1990s

Guitarists
Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg performing live in 2026
Wet Leg's Rhian Teasdale: The best songs only have two chords

By Phil Weller Published

And one of Van Halen’s most enduring hits seems to back up her argument

Guitarists
LEFT: Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen onstage at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, March 15, 1986. RIGHT: Alex Van Halen of Van Halen performs during the 2015 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17, 2015 in Las Vegas
Sammy Hagar on the song Eddie Van Halen loved, Alex Van Halen rejected — and later regretted he passed up

By Phil Weller Published

Originally dismissed during early sessions, “Eagles Fly” was later revived by Hagar and Eddie Van Halen for his first Van Halen–era solo album

Guitarists
Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) plays his custom Frankenstrat guitar at Cobo Arena during Van Halen's "Hide Your Sheep Tour" on August 13, 1982, in Detroit, Michigan
Eddie Van Halen explains how he broke a band rule to play on Michael Jackson’s ”Beat It”

By Phil Weller Published

Van Halen revealed his very practical reason for ignoring the rule against performing on other artist’s recordings

Guitarists
Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani perform onstage during the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joe Satriani says Sammy Hagar has him beat in one aspect of guitar playing

By Phil Weller Published

As the Best of All Worlds band heads to Europe for July dates, Satriani says Hagar's greatest strength as a guitarist comes from thinking more like a lead singer than a shredder.

Guitarists
LEFT: Eddie Van Halen performs with Van Halen at Madison Square Garden on May 22, 1998 in New York City. RIGHT: Joe Satriani, onstage at the Manchester Apollo, May 16, 1998.
Joe Satriani reveals David Lee Roth wanted him in a Van Halen band in the ’90s

By Phil Weller Published

Years before the ill-fated post-Eddie Van Halen tribute tour, Roth approached Satriani with a very different proposal: a band dedicated to Van Halen's music while Eddie was still on the road.

Guitarists
Ray Davies and Dave Davies of The Kinks pop group rehearsing in their dressing room before a concert September1964
Dave Davies on Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page and the Kinks’ power revolution

By Christopher Scapelliti Published

Davies' influences are scattered far and wide — but he hasn't always appreciated how musicians have responded to the Kinks' music

Guitarists
LEFT: Eddie Van Halen onstage, January 18, 1984. RIGHT: William Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain performs at Aeronef on June 2, 2018 in Lille, France.
“I can’t stand Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing. He ruined rock guitar.” Jesus and Mary Chain’s William Reid takes aim at Van Halen’s influence

By Phil Weller Published

The alt-rock pioneer says Van Halen led generations of guitarists to prioritize speed and technique over memorable musical ideas.

Guitarists
Van Halen on 10/11/81 in Chicago, Il.
“I said, ‘How come you didn't use these!?’” Steve Lukather says Eddie Van Halen’s unreleased recordings left him stunned

By Andrew Daly Published

Lukather says the unreleased recordings are completed performances by both Van Halen brothers — not scraps being pieced together after the fact

Music
Michael Anthony and Eddie Van Halen perform with Van Halen at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, March 15, 1986.
“We did call him — he just didn’t answer.” Alex Van Halen explains why Michael Anthony was replaced by Wolfgang

By Phil Weller Published

The drummer says the band reached out to its longtime bassist before Eddie Van Halen’s teenage son joined the lineup.

Guitarists
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