Biography

(cont.. from page 1)

1986 - March. Van Halen release their first album featuring Sammy Hagar on vocals. Titled "5150", (taken from the US police code), and released on Warner Bros. The album features nine tracks including the smash hit single "Why Can't This Be Love", and the excellent "Summer nights", "Dreams", and "Love walks in". This time the album is engineered and produced by Donn Landee, and Van Halen. (credits also include Mick Jones).

Dave Lee Roth releases his first solo album on Warner Bros. entitled "Eat ‘em and smile", and what an album it is. With Dave promoting himself as bigger than his former band, this album really sounded more like 'Van Halen' than ever before. Featuring new guitar ace Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Gregg Bissonette on drums, the album simply blasted from the onset with opening tracks "Yankee Rose", and "Shyboy". The album includes the Roth customary covers, with 60's "Tobacco road", (Nashville Teens), and final track jazz ballad "That's life". Roth followed up with a successful tour and look set to deliver his promises to out sell VH.

May - "5150" is certified both Gold and Platinum.

1988 - May. Van Halen release "OU812" on Warner Bros. Again produced with Donn Landee. The album tracks include, "Mine All Mine", "When It's Love", "Cabo Wabo", "Finish What Ya Started" and "Sucker In a 3 Piece".

Dave Lee Roth releases his second solo album "Skyscraper" on Warner Bros. Featuring the same line-up as his previous album, this time co-produced with Steve Vai. This album was not as successful as the first, although the single "just like paradise" fared well.

1991 - Van Halen release "For Unlawful Carnel Knowledge", ("F.U.C.K"). Co-Produced with Ted Templeman and Andy Johns, with engineer Don Landee. Tracks include the opener, "Poundcake", "Judgement Day", "In 'N' Out", "Right Now ", and the excellent "Top Of the World".

Dave Lee Roth releases "A Little ain't enough" on Warner Bros. This time the album features Jason Becker on guitar, and Matt Bissonette replaces Billy Sheehan. The album is produced by Bob Rock.

1993 - Van Halen release "Live: Right Here, Right Now" on Warner Bros. Together with live video.

1994 - Dave Lee Roth releases "You're filthy little mouth" on Warner Bros. Produced by Nile Rodgers, this venture was more blues than rock, and featured Terry Gilgore, (Guitar), John Regan, (Bass).

1996 - Sammy Hagar leaves the band amidst various gossip as to the real reasons. Allegedly one of the underlying reasons was that, despite producing five top selling albums, and being the lead man for the one of the biggest rock acts in US history for ten years, Sammy Hagar never really gave up his solo artist status, it was more the case of Van Halen featuring Sammy Hagar. Continued altercations between himself and the rest of the band finally came to a final showdown, with disagreements over songs and writing, and the release of a ‘Best of Van Halen' album, (Sammy apparently disagreed with the release of such an album whilst the band had the opportunity to write and release new material).

Meanwhile Dave Lee Roth had heard the news of the Hagar split, and discretely offered his services to Eddie in the light of their pending ‘Best of' album release. However, rumour has it that Dave completely ‘jump'ed(?) to the wrong conclusions, confusing maybe's with most definitely.
Things later went from bad to worse, appearing at the MTV awards, where relations between Dave and Eddie again broke down swiftly, with harsh words apparently said on both sides. And this despite recording two new songs, with a pending video shoot ahead. Van Halen were again back without a lead man, at least for the time being.

In a strange coincidence this same year, fellow rockers "Extreme" with vocalist Gary Cherone, and guitar maestro, (and Van Halen inspired), Nuno Bettencourt had split. This left Cherone to audition for Van Halen, with rumours that he would, indeed, be the next replacement lead man.

October - Van Halen release ‘Best of Vol one' on Warner Bros records. Van Halen are presented with an ‘Outstanding contribution to music' award. Messrs Eddie, Alex and Michael attend the foundations forum at the ‘Palladium' in Hollywood to collect.

1997 - ‘The Best of Van Halen: Vol I' is certified with both Gold and Platinum awards.

1998 - March. Gary Cherone, ("Extreme"), officially joins Van Halen and replaces Sammy Hagar on vocals. They perform a secret show at the ‘Billboard Live', Sunset Strip, LA. Prior to the release of their new album later in the month. The gig was a success, (despite Alex in a neckbrace), and Van Halen had took time to stage an eagerly awaited comeback, playing songs from their new album, and also songs from the Van Halen/Roth era that Sammy Hagar would previously avoid performing. Yet, there were still doubts outside the VH camp, especially with the VH fans. Cherone had a hard time proving his place with fans and critics, although this was not new, as Sammy Hagar had also met with the same crticism. However, was this really the best move for Cherone? And were Van Halen really happy with their choice of new lead man?

1999 - Van Halen would ultimately part company with Cherone, and so, in November, Gary Cherone quits Van Halen. The short lived collaboration spawned only one album, suitably titled "Van Halen III", and was criticised for it's soft rock style and songs. In another setback, Eddie enters hospital to undergo hip replacement surgery. Was this now time up for Van Halen?

2000 - Gary Cherone forms his new project "Tribe of Judah" with former "Extreme" colleagues Mike Mangini and bassist Pat Badger, plus Leo Mellace, (Guitar), and Steve Ferlazzo, (Keyboards).

May. Eddie visits the Anderson Cancer center in Houston as an outpatient for suspected tongue cancer, although official statements deny any confirmation of cancer.

2001 - April. Almost a year after the first rumours, Eddie and Van Halen finally, officially announce that he has tongue cancer, but that he has been advised by several oncologists that it was now in remission. The statement was released on the band's official website, with a personal message from Eddie explaining his situation, and thanking fans for their support.

December - Van Halen part company with Warner Bros records after 11 albums and 23 long years. The parting was officially mutual, but rumours were that Warner were keen to concentrate on their younger acts. This was despite previous remarks from the brothers that they were continually writing new material, and had apparently almost enough to fill three albums. Obviously the lack of progress deciding on the next replacement singer for the band was their major setback.

2002 - March. Sammy Hagar breaks the news on his website, (redrocker.com), that he and Dave Lee Roth have met up for the first time, and informally agreed to tour together in the summer with their own bands. Hagar had recently teamed up with former colleague and bassist Michael Anthony for his new project band "Planet Us", and recorded two songs together with ex- "journey" guitar man Neal Schon, and Deen Castronovo, (also "Bad English").

April. The tour was confirmed, beginning at the end of May. coined satirically as the "Sans Halen Tour," and the "Sam & Dave" tour, both Hagar and Roth announced their acts would include Van Halen songs from their respective era's with the band. Was this the strange hand of fate? Considering their past mix up and fallout with both vocalists over "Van Halen - the best of", or was this just plain West coast Rock'N'Roll pantomime. Needless to say, the Van Halen camp were not amused, and the news could not have come at a worst time for Eddie, who still had concerns about his future health.

2002 - July, after receiving the final all clear from his Tongue Cancer in May, there is more bad news for Eddie. And after 21 years of marriage he splits with his actress wife Valerie Bertinelli.

December - Despite a more than successful tour with Sammy Hagar, Dave Lee Roth files a lawsuit against Van Halen, claiming that the existing band members had secretly signed a deal with Warner records for increased royalties in 1996 for their early material with Roth, and that he had been excluded from this deal.

2004 - March. Van Halen officially release news that Sammy Hagar is to rejoin the band for a summer tour. With pending release of a "Best of vol II" album, and release of a new single aptly titled "It's about time". Hagar had been working with the band on new material since the beginning of the year.

June. Van Halen begin their comeback tour with first date June 11th at Greensboro stadium, NC. The tour would take the across the US, and finish in Tuscon, AZ in November.

July. Van Halen release "The Best of Both Worlds" on Warner Bros. This second best of album features two discs, covering both the Dave Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar catalogue. Perhaps not so surprisingly, there were no songs included from Van Halen III with Gary Cherone. The album is certified Gold and Platinum by September.

August. The Sammy Hagar solo anthology is released, titled, "The Essential Red Collection". Covering most everything from 1973-99, remastered and released on Hippo records. Ironically the cover features a rather young picture of the Redrocker sporting a Kramer Beretta, (the guitar most associated with Eddie!)

November. Van Halen finish touring November 19th after no less than 80 shows across the US since June, with the last date at ‘Anselmo Amphitheater' in Tuscon. In a surprise finale, Eddie actually smashed his favoured guitar at the end of the encore "Right now", his green Peavey 5150 Wolfgang. Speculation as to whether this was due to backstage frustrations, or just showmanship is not clear. Eddie had recently finished his endorsement with Peavey guitars and hardware, but this surely would be no reason to smash an unreplaceable instrument such as his co-designed Wolfgang, (Eddie VH is not known to use this type of spectacle of smashing instruments onstage).

With no more news of future plans, more questions arise as to the future of Van Halen. Despite extensive touring the VH brothers were said to be keen to carry on, however, the original contract for 80 shows with Sammy Hagar is now over. Whether this again marks the end of Van Halen and Sammy Hagar who knows, with no apparent new album pending, are Van Halen back to square one?

December. Peavey and Eddie VH finally part company after a 13 year partnership. Peavey will apparently still produce the Eddie VH range of Wolfgang guitars and 5150 amplifier heads, but will rename them. Eddie was also using the new EVH Art series Charvel guitars on tour, and it looks set his endorsement with Charvel/Fender will now replace Peavey.

2006 - January. Dave Lee Roth begins the year as radio show host on Sirus Satellite Free FM stations broadcasting across the US. He will host the breakfast show, broadcasting from New York, and Boston, to Pittsburgh, and West Palm Beach, 6.00 to 10.00am (ETime) weekdays.

February. With Sammy Hagar back with his solo project "The Wabos", and planning yet another Summer tour, Van Halen are again shopping for a new vocalist, and rumours are they may even be open to using the new talent show "Rock Star" to find one. (The talent show successfully launched last year was used by Aussie rock band "INXS" to find a replacement vocalist for the late Michael Hutchence).

March. Sammy Hagar releases a new single, "Sam I Am", from his forthcoming solo album, "Livin' it up".

Links

Van-halen.com

ClassicVanHalen.com

Redrocker.com - (Sammy Hagar).