Van Halen @ Olho Nu (Bio - Edward Van Halen)

Both he and his brother Alex Van Halen received training in classical piano as children, but it was ultimately rock music that won their interest, with Eddie deciding to channel his musical energies through the drums and Alex switching to the guitar. As it turned out, Alex - who practiced on his brother's kit while Eddie was out delivering papers to pay for it - developed faster as a drummer, motivating Eddie to turn his efforts to the guitar instead. Edward Van Halen in the early eighties

Throughout high school and afterwards the brothers worked together in a series of groups, eventually forming Mammoth in the early 1970s. It was during this period that they came in contact with David Lee Roth, the vocalist for a band from which they occasionally rented a P.A.; deciding they would be better off with a full-time singer (Eddie having been filling this role with little enthusiasm), and impressed with Roth's skills, they lured him into their ranks. Not long afterward, bassist Michael Anthony was culled from another local band, cementing a line-up that would endure for the next ten years. Upon discovering that the name 'Mammoth' was already taken, the four changed their name to Van Halen (apparently at Roth's suggestion) in 1974.

After spending the next year building up an audience on the local club circuit, Van Halen caught the attention of blood-spurting Kiss bassist Gene Simmons; impressed with the talent of Eddie and bandmates, he offered his services to produce a demo tape. That same year, a minion of the souless behemoth Warner Brothers also took an interest in the foursome, and within two shakes of a goat's tail a record deal was arranged. In 1978 their eponymous debut was released, strongly impacting the heavy metal scene and establishing Eddie as a guitar hero to countless uninspired teens. Five more albums with the Roth-fronted line-up followed over the next six years: Van Halen II (1979), Women and Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), Diver Down (1982), and the hugely successful 1984. By this time, however, relations between Van Halen and his vocalist had thoroughly disintegrated; the following year Roth moved on to a solo career, and a new frontman for the band - former Montrose vocalist and solo performer Sammy Hagar - was chosen.

In the burgeoning Los Angeles rock scene of mid-1970s, Van Halen's band was called Rat Salade, after a song by Black Sabbath. David Lee Roth suggested calling the band Van Halen, after having been hired by the band as a vocalist to circumvent paying for the use of his P.A. system. After unfulfilled promises by KISS's Gene Simmons to sign Van Halen, they signed with Warner Brothers in 1977, and then released their eponymous debut album on February 8, 1978. It was immediately recognized as a ground-breaking work. Van Halen's innovative, home-spun techniques, and unparalleled rhythmic sensibility influenced generations of guitarists. Van Halen's mantra, "if it sounds good, it is good," renowned "brown sound," and graceful melodicism propelled him to guitar god status around the world. He is especially known for a technique that he popularised: finger tapping. In interviews, Van Halen has credited Jimmy Page's guitar solo from the song "Heartbreaker" (Led Zeppelin II) as the inspiration for developing this techinque.

Edward Van Halen also played a role in getting R&B videos played on MTV. He was called in by Quincy Jones to play guitar on the song Beat It, from Michael Jackson's phenomenal 1982 album, "Thriller". The combination of Jackson's pop sensibilities, Quincy Jones' sleek production, and Van Halen's mind-blowing guitar work melded several genres of music, and helped each to find new fans. Concurrently, Van Halen's song Jump was played in discos, inner-city R&B clubs, and on rock radio.

Van Halen did soundtrack work for movies such as Back To The Future and Wild Life, and has recorded with Brian May, Jeff Porcaro, and Thomas Dolby. Edward Van Halen in the early eighties

He built his trademark red and white striped "Frankenstrat" guitar, (it was originally black and white,) by hand, using an imperfect body and neck picked up at a discount. He created and promoted a new signature guitar made by Peavey Guitars in the 1990s. He left Peavey guitars in 2004, and began working with Charvel guitars. They introduced a signature guitar based on Eddie's original "Frankenstrat".

After David's departure ans having Hagar at the helm, Van Halen climbed even higher up the arena rock ladder, their new material appealing to a broader, pop audience. Hagar's tenure endured slightly longer than Roth's, yet only resulted in five albums (5150 (1986), OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), Balance (1995), plus a 1993 live album). The defining moment for this period of the band was the shameful, career-boosting sell-out of their song Right Now to the Pepsi corporation, a move that seriously damaged their credibility with many of their older fans. By 1996 the guitarist once again found himself at odds with his vocalist, and Hagar departed amongst rumors of David Lee Roth returning to the microphone stand. Roth did in fact add his voice to two new songs for a 'Greatest Hits' collection, but the idea of a full-time reunion quickly went south, ending in a public exchange of insults through the music press. In the wake of this non-reunion, a third vocalist was picked: Gary Cherone, lately of the band Extreme. With this line-up (the least popular to date), Van Halen managed only to produce the 1998 effort Van Halen III. Following Cherone's quick exit, the Roth reunion rumors re-surfaced, but once again to no outcome.

During the peak years of his celebrity, Edward Van Halen dutifully pursued the expected lifestyle, turning himself into a first-class alcoholic along the way. After his marriage to actress Valerie Bertinelli in 1980, and particularly after the birth of his son a year later, the guitarist began the struggle to get control of his addicition, but not soon enough to avoid serious health consequences. One of the more dramatic consequences was a degenerative condition that required the replacement of his right hip in 1999. By 2000 he was faced with an even more serious procedure involving the removal of a cancerous tumor from his tongue. It was subsequently reported in 2002 that he was free from the cancer, but the impact upon his health continued to create an obstacle to his musical activity, putting his band out of commission for several years. In 2004 Van Halen finally resumued active duty, going out on the road once again with vocalist Sammy Hagar in 2004.

Edward has one son, Wolfgang William Van Halen, born March 16, 1991. He was named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and nicknamed "Wolfie". Wolfie has played at some of his father's concerts in their 2004 reunion tour with Sammy Hagar. Eddie named his line of signature Peavey Guitars after his son, and is also sponsored by Peavey Electronics to use their 5150 Amplifiers, which he had a part in designing.