Alex Van Halen , drummer for Van Halen Eddie Van Halen tribute tour in a new interview with Rolling Stone , saying that the band's legendary vocalist, David Lee Roth, sabotaged the tribute.
Rumors about an Eddie Van Halen tribute tour with Alex on drums and Lee Roth on vocals were true, and they began rehearsing for the tour initially with musicians from the vocalist's solo band. The idea was to bring in guitarist Joe Satriani and, perhaps, the group's original bassist, Michael Anthony , who hadn't played with the band since 2004.
Plans for the tour came to an end when the drummer suggested a tribute to his brother during each show, and David Lee Roth rejected the idea.
Alex Van Halen said ( via Ultimate Classic Rock ): “I told him, ‘Dave, at some point, we have to do a tribute – not a reverence – but a recognition for Ed at the show. Like Queen does, they use old footage with Freddie Mercury .’ At the time, I said we have to show recognition to Ed, but Dave blew a fuse and the ensuing chaos was unbelievable.”
The drummer didn't take the vocalist's refusal well and retorted: "I'm from the streets. If you talk to me like that, you son of a bitch, I'll beat you up, understand? And that's how it ended."
Alex still keeps in touch with Lee Roth, but the frontman left him perplexed: “It’s like I don’t know him anymore,” he added. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and everything else. But, Dave, you have to learn to work as a group, you son of a bitch. It’s not just you.”
Alex Van Halen's spinal cord injury
Alex Van Halen would not be able to participate in the tribute tour, as he suffered a spinal injury during a trip to a shooting range in 2022 that made it difficult for him to move, let alone play drums ( via Ultimate Classic Rock ).
“The rifle destroyed me,” he said, “It broke my back instantly. Then I spent a year in bed staring at the ceiling.”
The drummer says that, despite having given up opioid medication, he still experiences pain from the injury he suffered.
Furthermore, Alex says he doesn't regret losing the offer for the tribute tour to his brother:
"Now, in retrospect, playing the old songs isn't really paying homage to anyone. It's like a jukebox, in my opinion. Finding a replacement for Ed? It wouldn't be the same."
READ ALSO: Alex Van Halen releases excerpt from his book 'Brothers'
