Ross Hogarth, long-time engineer, was recently interviewed by Anthony Marinelli, where he discussed the recruitment of Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, in Van Halen, replacing former band’s bassist, Michael Anthony.
Ross Hogarth talked about Eddie Van Halen’s relationship with his son, saying it was a natural bond and musical connection between the two:
“I will say something direct and honest. First off, everybody who knows Michael Anthony also knows he’s just an awesome guy, a beautiful cat. Somehow, there was all this animosity, but anyone who’s a father, and their kid plays music, one of Eddie’s greatest joys was to play music with his son.
”One of Wolf’s greatest joys was to play music with his dad, and now that his dad is gone, those moments would never have happened if Ed had just stayed with (the classic lineup).”
He further explained how the transition period where Wolfgang replaced Anthony was natural and driven by familial bonds, saying:
“Everyone wants Michael Anthony with David Lee Roth, the original Van Halen. But there was nothing more than, ‘I want to play music with my kid.’ Plain and simple. I’m not gonna get any further into the dynamics, but I will say that to be around that beautiful joy — Uncle Al, playing music with his nephew, and Ed getting music to play with his son. What happens [is] family harmonies; you can’t get that sound [otherwise]. When those guys played together, there was a certain glue that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”