Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52706 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:53 am Post subject:
Damn. I knew he had been having a rough go of it, but always seem to keep coming through. Sorry to hear it all finally caught up with him.
Another Rock Icon has left the arena . . . RIP
As an aside, he used to live up the canyon from my Dad's house and talked to him many times. I have a fun story about Eddie that I will elaborate on when I have more time. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
I just learned today that he played the solos for Michael Jackson's "Beat It" on his day off. Just rolled in, laid it down in half an hour, didn't ask to get paid, and went uncredited. _________________ Under New Management
I just learned today that he played the solos for Michael Jackson's "Beat It" on his day off. Just rolled in, laid it down in half an hour, didn't ask to get paid, and went uncredited.
Yeah he did a similar thing on one of the 90s Sabbath albums.
Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 29999 Location: Likely nowhere near you
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:00 pm Post subject:
Eddie and Michael _________________ Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying...'I will try again tomorrow.'
If any of you are interested and/or are big VH fans, there is an absolute treasure trove of bootlegs from when they were playing small clubs and high school auditoriums around LA in that 1974-1977 time frame pre-1st album. Ed is just on a completely different planet in some of these, it's truly mind-blowing. Lot's of cool covers/unreleased originals in there too.
I'm not lying when I say EVH and Kobe were my 2 biggest heroes, one for both of my loves: basketball and guitar. Can't believe they're both gone in the same year.
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52706 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 4:13 pm Post subject:
My Eddie Van Halen Story: Eddie lived near the bottom of Coldwater Canyon back in the early '80's, just up the road from where my dad lived at the time. So I had several opportunities to interact with him for a while. The first was at the old Hughes Market at the bottom of the road when I was probably just turned 18. I saw a bright red Lamborghini Miura parked in front of the store. I was a car nut so I walked over to check it and was walking around it when I realized there was someone sitting in the driver's seat watching me. So a bit flustered by being caught gawking, I complimented the guy an asked him a couple of questions about which specific model it was etc. and after a moment or two, I suddenly realized who I was talking to. He registered my moment of recognition and chuckled as I tried to stay cool. We finished the brief conversation with me kind of stammering around and he was very nice.
Not long after, I got a job at the gas station right there at Coldwater and Ventura and he was a regular. So I'd chat with him about his various cars while he got filled up and topped off his oil. Eventually, I started working the late or graveyard shift. This was back in the day before the pumps were automated and had credit card readers. So I sat in the booth and everyone would have to come to the booth, pay ahead and in cash only. One night he came in and needed oil. The station was gas only after "Full Service" hours, and the oil was all locked away in the service bays. I explained that oil wasn't available and he shook his head in frustration. So I thought, "WTF, It's freakin EVH, you really gonna say 'no can do'?" and said, "Well, since I like your cars . . . come with me" and I broke the cardinal rule, I left the booth with the keys to the service bay and we went in and grabbed him a can of oil. He was very appreciative, he went to top off his oil as I locked up and returned to my booth. After that he was always super friendly when he came in and would go out of his way to say "Hi".
Fast forward to early one morning long after that and I am in my booth. This Mercedes comes screaming into the station and a woman jumps out. It was Valerie Bertinelli. She came in fairly regularly as well, and went to the full service pumps and was always nice, but kept to herself. Anyway, she comes up to the window and it was clear she was flustered and angry. She asked me to fill the car. Her sense of urgency was obvious. Trying to sound as apologetic as I could, I said it was self service only. She looked at me baffled and said, "How do I do that?" and it was clear she was genuinely unsure and frustrated about it. "I've really got to get out of here. Can you help me please?!" Well of course I was going to. So I said , "Sure, you just have to pay first, that's how the pump unlocks". So she hurriedly pulls out a credit card, "Oh no" I thought and then said, "Sorry, it's cash only". Now she was very upset. "This is all I have!" she yelled. It didn't feel it was at me, she was a bit frantic and I could tell she just wanted to get moving. So I told her I could let her have $5, because that's what I had in my pocket. She was very grateful as I left the booth and pumped the gas as she fidgeted and looked all around as if looking for someone. I finished and she thanked me as she jumped in the car and literally peeled out of the station and down Coldwater.
Moments later Eddie flies into the gas station, jumps out and comes over to the booth. He paused for a second looking like he wasn't sure what to say and then asked, "hey man . . . Uh . . . was um . . . did a woman in a Mercedes just come in here?"
I chuckled to myself and said, "You mean Valerie?"
"Yeah, yeah . . . she was here?" he asked again.
"Yep, she just left"
"Thanks!' he said and started to hurry back to his car and then stopped and turned and asked, "Did she seem pissed off?"
"She was definitely in a hurry and yeah. she seemed kinda upset . . ." I said, kinda blown away to be in the midst of this moment of celebrity drama.
He stood the for a moment nodding his head and said, "yeah . . . she's really pissed off at me . . . I gotta find her . . ." and he started back to the car. "Hey man, did you see which way she went?" he asked as he started to get in.
"Down Coldwater towards the 101 . . ."
"THANKS! . . ." and he paused, shook his head and he said out loud but clearly to himself, "Yeah, she's really (bleep) pissed." And then jumped in the car and screamed out of the station as I sat there thinking, "Well that just happened". _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Man... I've been a deep fan since about 81/2 and to this day. I was talking to Mule about VH just recently here. I just watched their 78 Fresno concert and Beat It early morning hours last night before even knowing. Truly sucks. He must've smoked a hundred thousand cigs in his life, he had one in every interview, concert, etc that I've ever seen. He blew smoke rings and had one burning at the end of his guitar neck, even worked it into a part of the act like Mike Anthony's JD bass or somethin. And he didn't give it up like he did drinking when he had a good chance. He said he had to get oral surgery because he would put a metal pick in his mouth during his hammer-on maneuvers. He definitely was a legit rock superstar of that era and they all partied hardy to a man. You're talking 50 years of drinking and smoking. Hagar said the brothers would drink from awakening in the morning on.
Eddie was an untrained wizard. He was a musical savant. He was extremely versed on the technicalities of the electric guitar and you only realized that when he would talk in interviews about it. In the late 70s, he did things like keep his guitar in tune before the advent of the locking tremolo, which guitarheads marvel at. Very sad and pissed at the same time.
Rest in peace, guitar legend.
This was taken at the band's photographer's yard. He said Ed would just drive up and park on his grass unlike a normal person.
Great story DMR. My only remembrance of Eddie Van Halen was from watching him at the Whisky. Damn, the Whisky and Starwood. And Concerts by the Sea. Good times.
Great story DMR. My only remembrance of Eddie Van Halen was from watching him at the Whisky. Damn, the Whisky and Starwood. And Concerts by the Sea. Good times.
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