Eddie Calls Michael Anthony a Liar: “I’m Not the Bad Guy Here”
June 3, 2009 – We’ve all seen this on TV, Boss tells employee, You’re Fired” to which employee responds, “I’m not fired, I quit.” Maybe the guys in Van Halen are working on a comedy sketch cause I don’t know what the hell is going on between former bassist Michael Anthony and Eddie Van Halen. Last week Anthony said he was fired but this week Van Halen tells Rolling Stone magazine that Anthony actually quit the band.

When talking about Anthony and Sammy Hagar’s new band Chickenfoot he said, "I wish them well. The funny thing is that everyone who quits the band always claims they got fired by me. Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. When Hagar left the band, Mike went with him. Then when we get back together with Dave, and all of a sudden, he wants back in. It's like, 'No, dude, you quit the band.' So my son became the bass player. But we didn't give Mike the boot to have my son play. He was around. We didn't have a bass player. 'Hey Wolfie, you want to play?'"

The future does look bright for Van Halen. He told Rolling Stone that it’s only a matter of time before the group record some new material, "It wasn't just a reunion one-off thing. I've already gone to Dave's house four or five times over the last month. I've got so much music. It's just trying to figure out what Dave's into because we haven't written together in a long time. But it's great. It feels like we've always felt in the beginning. But I'm sober, so it's different. He's sober, so it's different. It's a wonderful feeling."

Check out the full Rolling Stone interview with Eddie Van Halen here  – by John Beaudin © Copyright (c) Rock History Book.com. For permission to reprint this story contact us

Nike Says “We Have Not Infringed on Eddie Van Halen”
June 19, 2009 – Even though Nike’s new Dunk shoes look exactly like Eddie Van Halen 'Frankenstein' Guitar Design the company says they are innocent.

Nike says:

"Based on the information provided to us, we have not infringed on any rights held by Mr. Van Halen. Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe."

Eddie and his lawyers went on the war-path when they saw the similarity. Hell, if these shoes had strings I’d be doing a solo. A cause of action for copyright infringement was filed last Friday in Los Angeles Federal District Court against Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike.

Van Halen is asking for all sales to stop immediately and for all unsold shoes in question to be destroyed, as well as all profits from the sale of the shoes and damages. – by John Beaudin

Chickenfoot Bassist Michael Anthony Comes Clean on Van Halen Split
May 28, 2009 – Michael Anthony of the new supergroup Chickenfoot says his motto is “Never Say Never” even when it comes to a possible reunion with Van Halen. He said, “If the situation arose and it was all on the up an’ up across the board and right, then I would love to do something like that again, to play with those guys again. I’m sure Sammy would.”

Anthony says his exit from Van Halen, which wasn’t his idea, hasn’t consumed his life,  “Some people want to go through life being bitter and everything. At my age at this point in my career, I want to have fun. You never know how long you’ve got in this business, so why waste time doing that? It was very disappointing. It started out in 2004 when we did that tour. For whatever reason, the brothers - Eddie in particular - was upset that I was playing with Sammy again. Van Halen wasn’t doing anything. And I didn’t think I was doing anything to tarnish the band’s name, or career or anything. I just wanted to go out and jam a few of these songs - Sammy wanted me to come out and have some fun and the fans wanted to hear it. They were having a great time. So I figured ‘Hey, what the heck.’” More

Sammy Hagar Gives Props to Joe Satriani as “The Best Guitarist I've Ever Played With"
May 5, 2009 – An ex-guitarist is like an inflamed appendix, they cause a lot of pain and suffering, but after it's removed you find you didn't need it in the first place! That seems to be the case for Sammy Hagar and his thoughts of ex-Van Halen partner, Eddie Van Halen.

Hagar just started the super-group Chickenfoot with another ex-Van Halen member, bassist Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers Chad Smith on drums and Joe Satriani on lead guitar.

Last week Hagar said, "I've made this statement a million times - some people don't like it, some people do - but Joe is the best guitarist I have ever played with,"

"That's a strong statement. I realize that," Hagar added. "You've got to give Eddie [Van Halen] a lot of love for his innovation of what he did as a stylist with the guitar. He broke a lot of ground. But Joe is a master. He can play anything and everything - folk, blues, jazz, hard rock, soft rock, fusion, you name it."

Sammy, who has also worked with Ronnie Montrose and Neal Schon of Journey said, "As a guitar technician, Joe is the best guy I've ever stood in the same room with on any instrument. And he's so soulful when he solos. He puts more feeling into a solo than any other player I've been with." 

Bottom line is Hagar is loving his new band. All nine shows from their new tour in May have sold out and their European dates, slated for June and July are selling quick. – by John Beaudin

Prerequisite to New Van Halen Album – High School Graduation
Feb. 19, 2009 – Usually rockers leave high school early to pursue their goal of fame, booze and sex with woman who otherwise would call you a troll. Wolfgang Van Halen is doing it backwards. The bassist was part of the Van Halen comeback in 2007 but now he’s going back to school and according to legendary dad, Eddie, there will be no Van Halen album until he graduates.

Wolfgang was pulled from school for the tour when he was just 15 and now he’s a permanent member of the band, replacing Michael Anthony. Eddie is adamant that he wants his son to be part of  Van Halen and the prerequisite is simply to graduate.

Here is what Eddie Van Halen told Hustler magazine, "We're just waiting for the right time. I took Wolfie out of school for a whole year to do the tour. It was just a bad time because the 11th grade is the year when they prep you for college. First he graduates, then we'll sit down, give Dave (Lee Roth) a call and see if he feels like whooping and hollering a little bit. I've got a ton of music." - By John Beaudin

David Lee Roth Wanted to Stay Clear of Eddie on Past Van Halen Tour
Nov. 27, 2008 – Sure, they got back together but it doesn’t mean they actually like each other. A concert rider just released by The Smoking Gun web site shows the idiosyncrasies surrounding the Van Halen reunion with David Lee Roth.

It states that Roth’s dressing room "SHOULD BE AS FAR AWAY FROM" Eddie as possible. Also, in case you didn’t know it the singer is huge into martial arts and that was covered in the rider, "Mr. Roth practices martial arts in his dressing room, and in order to do this there can be no rugs or carpeting of any sort."

Smoking Gun also says Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, who was 16 when the tour started, needed a study room and a tutor.

The reunion tour which started in Sept. 2007 and wrapped up on June 2, 2008 was attended by almost a million fans. Roth was performing with the band for the first time in 23 years. – by John Beaudin

Michael Anthony Has Tough Flashbacks of Van Halen
Nov. 21, 2008 – Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony could pen a pretty juicy Hollywood tell-all. It would have all the dirt we’ve come to expect from Rock’n’Roll. Love, money, drugs mixed in a cocktail of betrayal. There was even a hip replacement in there somewhere, how many soap operas can top that?

In a recent interview Anthony said it was tough changing lead singers in the band, it was "something of a mind game from time to time.” Anthony adds "As soon as we had a strong identity, we had to change." After releasing their most successful album to date, ‘1984,’ David Lee Roth exited the group only to be replaced by Sammy Hagar and then there was the disastrous Gary Cherone era which lasted for 5 minutes.

Anthony could tell some juicy stories but chooses to keep it clean, especially about Eddie Van Halen's substance abuse, "I don't want to talk smack on anyone," he says, "but there were times that were, uh, difficult."

The biggest blow however was the 2004 reunion which Anthony was not a part of, instead he was replaced by Eddie’s son to Valerie Bertinelli, Wolfgang. "It was a blow," says Anthony. "I would have loved to have been a part of it. But at my age, you learn to roll with the punches. And you find that better things lay ahead."

Michael Anthony took the high road. His current band is Chickefoot. – by John Beaudin

Eddie Van Halen Is Over Valerie Bertinelli, Plans to Marry Manager
Oct. 7, 2008 – Let us just go on record as saying, there is no getting over Valerie Bertinelli. If I was divorcing her my ‘lick the floor with pain’ suffering would be like a deep vacuous hole of emotional need but I’m no Eddie Van Halen either. The guitar God is showing he’s finally moved on with the announcement of his wedding. Van Halen, 53, proposed to his girlfriend/manager Janie Liszewski, 38, and the pair plan to wed next June. He proposed in a private room in Tiffany’s in Hawaii.

It’s been a tough road for Van Halen with problems with alleged substance abuse, hip problems, divorce to Bertinelli and that mystery illness that had the band Van Halen sidelined for a bit. However the groups reunion tour was a huge success and things are looking good for Eddie. Congratulations to them both. – by John Beaudin

Eddie Says “Free Hips for Everybody,” Van Halen Tour Makes 93 Million
June 11, 2008 – Everybody loves a reunion and freakin’ everybody really loved this one. Billboard magazine reports that the Van Halen reunion has made a whopping 93 million. The tour which wrapped up on June 2 in Grand Rapids had over a million in attendance and 74 shows.

Though original bassist Michael Anthony was not in the line-up the rest of the original band David Lee Roth, and Eddie and Alex Van Halen, along with Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen wowed the crowds. Eddie also had to go into rehab during their tour and there was that hip problem but it all worked out in the end.
Overall, fans were just happy to see Roth sing lead again for the first time in 23 years. Spokesman for the group says, ``It’s the most successful tour to date for the band.`` Also expect to see a live DVD in the coming year. – by John Beaudin