13/11/2025
They revolutionized rock in 1978.
Hated each other by 1985.
Eddie died in 2020 wanting reconciliation.
Roth didn't visit.
Eddie's brother is still angry about it.
Pasadena, California, 1974. Two brothers and a loudmouth frontman form a band.
Eddie Van Halen: 19, guitar prodigy, Dutch immigrant, classically trained on piano but self-taught on guitar.
Alex Van Halen: 21, Eddie's older brother, drummer, protector, the serious one.
David Lee Roth: 19, Pasadena native, rich kid (father was a surgeon), all charisma and ego.
They call the band Van Halen. Not "Roth" or "The David Lee Roth Band." Van Halen.
This will matter later.
For four years, they grind: clubs, parties, backyard shows. Building a following. Perfecting their sound.
Then in 1978, Warner Bros. Records signs them.
The debut album—Van Halen—is recorded in three weeks. Cost: $40,000 (cheap even for 1978).
Released February 10, 1978.
It changes rock music forever.
Track 2 is "Eruption"—1 minute, 42 seconds of Eddie Van Halen rewriting what's possible on guitar.
Two-handed tapping. Harmonic squeals. Speed beyond belief.
Guitar players everywhere hear it and think: "What the f**k was that?"
Eddie is doing things on guitar that shouldn't be possible. He's not just fast—he's musical. Melodic. Innovative.
"Eruption" becomes the most influential guitar solo in rock history.
But Track 1 is "Runnin' with the Devil."
And that's David Lee Roth.
Swaggering. Cocky. Sexual. Funny.
"I live my life like there's no tomorrow!" he screams.
He's wearing spandex, doing jump-kicks, grinning like he owns the world.
Together, they're unstoppable.
Eddie: serious, technical, revolutionary guitar.
Roth: outrageous, theatrical, sex-god frontman.
Alex: the backbone, keeping rhythm and keeping Eddie grounded.
Michael Anthony: bass and backup vocals, the glue.
By 1984, Van Halen is the biggest rock band in America.
Their album 1984 sells 10 million copies. "Jump" is #1. "Panama" is everywhere.
MTV plays their videos constantly. They sell out arenas. They're making millions.
But behind the scenes, Eddie and Roth despise each other.
Eddie thinks Roth is shallow. All show, no substance. Takes credit for the music when Eddie writes it.
Roth thinks Eddie is too serious. Doesn't understand showmanship. Wants to be a jazz musician instead of a rock star.
The Van Halen brothers (Eddie and Alex) are Dutch immigrants—working-class, humble, focused on craft.
Roth is American, rich, flashy—focused on image and fame.
The culture clash is massive.
Eddie starts drinking heavily. Co***ne too. The pressure of being the world's greatest guitarist while dealing with Roth's ego is crushing.
Roth is also doing co***ne. And being Roth—increasingly difficult, demanding, ego-driven.
In 1985, it explodes.
During the 1984 tour, tensions are unbearable. Eddie and Roth barely speak.
After the tour, Roth announces he's doing a solo album.
Eddie and Alex see this as betrayal. "You're leaving?"
Roth says no, just a side project.
But then Roth's solo EP—Crazy from the Heat—is a hit. And Roth starts talking like he doesn't need Van Halen.
In April 1985, Van Halen fires David Lee Roth.
Or Roth quits. Depends who you ask.
Eddie's version: "We fired him. He was impossible to work with."
Roth's version: "I left. They were holding me back."
Both are probably true.
The band replaces Roth with Sammy Hagar—former Montrose singer, less flashy, more blue-collar.
The "Van Hagar" era (1985-1996) is hugely successful.
Four #1 albums. More commercial success than with Roth.
But the sound is different. Less dangerous. More polished. Some fans love it. Others say it's not "real" Van Halen.
Meanwhile, Roth's solo career is massive.
"California Girls" (1985). "Just a Gi**lo" (1985). He's selling millions, proving he doesn't need Van Halen.
But Eddie's proving he doesn't need Roth either.
They spend the next 40 years sniping at each other.
Roth in interviews: "Eddie's a great technician, but I brought the party."
Eddie in interviews: "Roth couldn't sing. We had to fix everything in the studio."
It's petty. It's public. It's brutal.
1996: Sammy Hagar leaves Van Halen (fired/quit—again, disputed).
For a brief moment, Roth returns. They record two new songs.
Then Roth quits/is fired again. Within months.
The reunion lasts less than a year.
2007: Roth rejoins Van Halen for a reunion tour.
But there's a condition: Michael Anthony (original bassist, Roth's friend) is out.
Eddie's 16-year-old son, Wolfgang, replaces him on bass.
Why? Eddie and Alex never forgave Anthony for siding with Hagar during the splits.
The 2007-2015 reunion tours are successful but tense.
Eddie is sober now (finally). Roth is older, voice not what it was, but still charismatic.
They perform together. But they're not friends. They're professionals doing a job.
Then in the 2000s, Eddie is diagnosed with cancer.
Tongue cancer initially (he blames metal guitar picks held in his mouth for decades).
He beats it. Then it comes back. Throat cancer. Then spreads.
Eddie keeps it quiet. Keeps touring. Keeps playing.
October 6, 2020: Eddie Van Halen dies at age 65.
Throat cancer. At a hospital in Santa Monica, California.
His wife Janie, his son Wolfgang, and his brother Alex are with him.
David Lee Roth is not.
According to Alex Van Halen's 2024 memoir Brothers:
Eddie wanted Roth there. Wanted to reconcile before he died.
Alex reached out to Roth. Asked him to visit.
Roth didn't come.
Alex writes (paraphrased): "Ed wanted to see Dave. Wanted to make peace. Dave didn't show. I'll never forgive him for that."
Roth's response? Silence.
He posted a tribute on social media after Eddie died: "What a long, great trip it's been..."
But no public response to Alex's memoir. No explanation for why he didn't visit.
So what's the truth?
Option 1: Roth didn't know Eddie was dying.
Possible. Eddie kept his illness very private.
But Alex says he reached out. So Roth knew.
Option 2: Roth was too hurt/angry to visit.
Decades of bitterness. Pride. Old wounds.
Couldn't bring himself to face Eddie.
Option 3: Roth is just Roth.
Ego. Self-centered. Doesn't do emotional reconciliation.
Lives by "never apologize, never explain."
Whatever the reason, Eddie died without the reconciliation he wanted.
And that's the tragedy of Van Halen.
They created one of the greatest rock bands in history.
"Eruption." "Jump." "Panama." "Runnin' with the Devil."
But they couldn't get along for more than a few years at a time.
Ego. Drugs. Money. Credit. Fame.
All the classic rock band self-destruction reasons.
Eddie Van Halen: Born January 26, 1955. Died October 6, 2020.
Revolutionized guitar playing.
"Eruption" (1978): Most influential solo in rock history.
Co-founded Van Halen (1972).
David Lee Roth era (1974-1985): Iconic but volatile.
Sammy Hagar era (1985-1996): Commercial peak.
Roth reunion tours (2007-2015): Successful but tense.
Died of throat cancer, age 65.
Wanted reconciliation with Roth before death.
Roth didn't visit.
Alex Van Halen (Eddie's brother) says he'll never forgive Roth for that.
David Lee Roth: Born October 10, 1954. Still alive at 70.
Van Halen's original frontman (1974-1985, 1996, 2007-2020).
Defined rock frontman archetype: acrobatic, charismatic, cocky.
Successful solo career (1985-present).
Never publicly explained why he didn't visit Eddie before death.
Says about Van Halen's legacy: "There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."
That quote sums them up:
Genius? Absolutely. "Eruption." "Jump." Revolutionized rock.
Insanity? Also absolutely. Couldn't stay together. Decades of feuding. Died without reconciliation.
They erased the line between genius and insanity.
And paid the price.
Eddie died at 65, wanting peace with Roth.
Roth didn't come.
That's rock and roll.
Not the glamorous part.
The sad, human part.
Two men who made history together.
Who hated each other for 40 years.
Who never fully reconciled.
Even at the end.
When it mattered most.
Listen to "Eruption."
Listen to "Jump."
Remember the genius.
But also remember:
Genius doesn't mean happiness.
Success doesn't mean peace.
And sometimes, pride wins over reconciliation.
Even when someone's dying.
That's Van Halen's legacy.
The music: Immortal.
The partnership: Tragic.
Both are true.
