Alex Van Halen recently shared his experiences from his time with the late Eddie Van Halen as well as s*x, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll in his new memoir, ‘Brothers.’ He also reflected on the band’s dynamics and original vocalist David Lee Roth’s exit in 1985.
Alex Van Halen shares his thoughts on David Lee Roth’s departure
His words read, “Me, Ed, and Dave were very subversive in the way we looked at music and the political system and the way we looked at people in general…The band was dysfunctional. It was completely running on three wheels, if you will. I think Ed was quoted as saying ‘but we always played well,’ and that was ultimately what kept it together until it was no longer together. It was a very sad moment when that whole thing fell apart.”
The drummer then labeled the split with Roth as “the most disappointing thing in my life, the thing that seemed the most wasteful and unjust. Until I lost my brother.”
Following David Lee Roth’s exit, Van Halen continued with Sammy Hagar as their vocalist for some time. They then reunited with original members and Wolfgang Van Halen on bass for a tour in 2015.
Alex had plans to come back together again for another show to honor Eddie’s memory in later years. However, Roth reportedly ruined them. Still, the drummer noted in his book that the singer was the first person he reached out to following his brother’s death in 2020.
As for his current relationship with Roth, Alex told USA Today earlier this week, “I think Dave is laying low right now. I don’t know his mental state in terms of how he’s dealing with all of this. I was taught early on that the music field isn’t about the notes and things, it’s about relationships and what we all had [in Van Halen] was deeply entangled.”
“I don’t hold [Roth leaving Van Halen in 1985] against him. We’re not here to hold you prisoner. But it was very telling how the dynamic of certain entities got warped by the people around him. Dave was in the middle of [huge success] where he wasn’t thinking clearly, and he would admit that now. That’s the reason I called him first – only to find out that 23 years changes people.”
Alex released ‘Brothers’ as a tribute to Eddie along with ‘Unfinished,’ the last song they wrote and recorded together.
