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Who was Eddie Van Halen?
Eddie Van Halen, one of the most original and influential guitarists to have rocked the American music scenario, was the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band, Van Halen. The son of music loving parents, Eddie was forced to learn piano as a youngster which he absolutely loathed. Instead he took to guitar and was hooked—he would spend hours locked up in his room practicing on the instrument. He was a big fan of Eric Clapton and he listened to his records day and night, teaching himself to play every one of Clapton’s solos. Along with his drummer brother Alex, bassist Mark Stone and vocalist David Lee Roth, he formed a band that was initially called Mammoth. After considering several other names, the band members settled on Van Halen as they liked the sound of it. The band got their big break when they were heard by Gene Simmons, the lead guitarist of the band, Kiss. They eventually signed a contract with Warner Brothers and released their self-titled debut album which went on to achieve Diamond status in the U.S. The band released a string of other hit album over the years, as Eddie’s reputation as a phenomenal guitarist soared higher and higher.
Career
Eddie Van Halen, along with brother Alex, bassist Mark Stone and vocalist David Lee Roth formed a band called Mammoth. Later on, the band's name was changed to Van Halen in 1972 and Michael Anthony was called in to replace Mark Stone.
The band was heard by record producer, Ted Templeton, in 1977 who helped them sign a contract with Warner Brothers Records. Their debut album, Van Halen was out in 1978 which peaked at No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Albums Chart and eventually went Diamond.
They released Van Halen II in 1979 which performed even better than its predecessor reaching No. 6 on the Billboard charts. It included the singles, Dance the Night Away, and Beautiful Girls.
In 1980, their third studio album, Women and Children First was released. The lyrics had been solely composed by the band members and it featured music that was different from the previous albums.
The prolific band released Fair Warning in 1981 and River Down in 1982. Both the albums were accredited Multi-Platinum in the U.S and Platinum in Canada.
The band’s album, 1984, released in the same year as the name, was its most commercially successful album. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts and spawned the hits, Jump and Panama.
By 1986 there was a change in the band’s lineup: singer Sammy Hagar had replaced David Lee Roth. The first album produced with Hagar was 5150, which was a big hit like its predecessors.
The 1980s were the best time for the band when each of their albums became super hits with the audiences. They brought out only three albums in the 1990’s out of which two went Multi-Platinum: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991) and Balance (1995).
The new millennium was a difficult period for Eddie as he was plagued by several personal and health problems, including a diagnosis of cancer and divorce. The band did not release any albums during the decade.
After a gap of several years, the band brought out the album, A Different Kind of Truth, in 2012 which debuted at No. 2 on U.S. Billboard Albums Chart. It featured Eddie’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen.
