In a new interview with The Eddie Trunk Podcast, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather talked about the status of Van Halen and health issues with Eddie Van Halen.
He said:
“I hear all the same rumors that you do and it’s not my place to guess.”
On Eddie Van Halen, he said:
“I love Ed, he’s been a friend of mine for 40 years. I’m still friends with Mike [Anthony, bass], I love those guys. I’m Switzerland, I don’t get in the middle of all that, you know?
“I can’t look you right in the eye and say, ‘Listen, I’ve been in contact with them, we text all the time…’ I really can’t say much, man.
“Everybody wants Van Halen back, nobody more than me because Ii still think they’re one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time, and if there’s any chance to play, you know, they’re laying back and waiting to see what happens next.
“I think they’re on a hiatus, there’s been some health issues that they’re dealing with and stuff like that. We’re older guys now, and to go on the road requires a lot of extra effort in terms of – as a human being.
“I don’t think there’s any drama issues that are keeping them from working. I’m not the guy to say anything, I love those brothers so much and we’ve always had a great relationship. I’m a big fan and also adore them as human beings.”
Van Halen, a legendary band that’s credited with restoring hard rock music to the forefront of the scene have been inactive for a while now. The last Van Halen album titled A Different Kind Of Truth was released back in 2012 and was hugely successful. The band toured for few years and eventually stopped touring once the album cycle ended. In the last few years, there has been a discussion on the possibility of Van Halen reuniting with classic lineup. Although this rumor has been active since 2017, it hasn’t materialized to date. The last update we had was when Sammy Hagar, who fronted the band for more than a decade, hinted about the possibility of a world tour with classic Van Halen lineup.