Alex Van Halen was furious with David Lee Roth for showing disrespect towards his late brother, Eddie, and felt a strong urge to confront him physically.
“The thing that broke the camel’s back, and I can be honest about this now, was I said, ‘Dave, at some point, we have to have a very overt — not a bowing — but an acknowledgment of Ed in the gig. If you look at how Queen does it, they show old footage,’” the drummer shared with Rolling Stone, discussing the all-star Van Halen tour that never materialized.
Van Halen elaborated, “And the moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave f*ckin’ popped a fuse.… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable. I’m from the street. You talk to me like that, motherf*cker, I’m gonna beat your f*cking brains out.”
He continued, “You got it? And I mean that. And that’s how it ended. It’s just, my God. It’s like I didn’t know him anymore. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But, Dave, you gotta work as a community, motherf*cker. It’s not you alone anymore.”
Following Eddie’s passing in 2020, Alex planned a tour with Roth that ultimately fell through. He also revealed that a 2022 back injury made touring impossible for him, leaving him unable to move for a year. He emphasized that playing old songs wouldn’t genuinely honor Eddie, as no one could replace his brother.
In April 2022, Jason Newsted mentioned that Alex had approached him about joining a project around six months prior. Newsted was open to jamming with Alex and Joe Satriani in California but later felt it would be challenging to honor Van Halen’s legacy.
Wolfgang Van Halen noted that “drama” within the band has hindered any all-star Van Halen tribute project. Although Wolfgang performed three Van Halen songs at tribute concerts for Taylor Hawkins, he stated he is no longer interested in organizing a tribute event for Eddie.
The rocker expressed, “I think I already did it with the Taylor Hawkins tributes. I feel a lot of closure because my part of the show was a tribute to my father.”
Eddie Van Halen passed away in October 2020 at the age of 65 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California. Alex’s new memoir, Brothers, is set to be released on October 22 by HarperCollins Publishers.
