David Lee Roth has just released a song titled "Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill" in tribute to his colleague Eddie Van Halen , who passed away in early October of this year.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill” was made available on all digital platforms and on YouTube it was released with a still image bearing the following message: “Hey Ed, I’m going to miss you… See you on the other side.”
The track was written by Lee Roth and guitarist John 5 six years ago for a project they were planning to release together, but it was never made available. In a 2014 interview, the guitarist described the work as containing eleven of the best songs he had ever heard.
John 5 rose to fame after collaborating on David Lee Roth's solo career, writing and playing on the 1998 album DLR Band. Shortly after, John 5 joined Marilyn Manson's band and then Rob Zombie , a position he holds to this day.
The release of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill” is also part of a virtual comic book called The Roth Project , which the Van Halen vocalist has just launched. The song is one of five other collaborations with John 5 that had never been released until now and features a series of 17 chapters, all narrated by David Lee Roth. Learn more here.
John 5 also paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen with a video of "You Really Got Me" recorded during one of his solo shows, which featured Corey Taylor and Michael Anthony.
Listen to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill” below.
