Van Halen has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My dad loved them and kept them playing in the background of my childhood; he is the source of infection for my Van Halen obsession. I liked Van Halen the most of my parent's four children, so the band became my dad's and my thing.
Van Halen became my first favorite band around 2015. Their music made me feel on top of the world, I'm telling you, I could dance the night away with Eddie, Alex, Michael, and David. When I was doing school work, I'd listen to "1984" and "Van Halen (I)". When I decided I wanted to learn the guitar I learned the intro to "Jump", on my dad's Eddie Van Halen replica guitar. When I got my own guitar I learned the intro to "Dance the Night Away" first (as you can tell, I was not skilled enough to learn whole songs).
In 2017, I went to the KYUkeFest. The festival starts off with an open mic where you're announced by your name and favorite band. I was called up to the stage as "Alexis, who's favorite band is Van Halen." After I got off the stage my ukulele teacher asked me if I'd seen the ukulele they were raffling off that year; I hadn't. It just so happened, they were raffling off a handmade, Eddie Van Halen replica ukulele. This news made me jump with excitement. My dad and I wanted to have that ukulele so badly. I spent several hours playing the game to win tickets to enter into the raffle. At the end of the weekend the last raffle they announced was for the Eddie Ukulele, and I won it. That ukulele was mine all mine. The Eddie Van Halen ukulele is one of my most prized possessions and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Several years ago, dad and I were in the car and the radio was playing. Michael Jackson's legendary "Beat It" was playing. My dad told me to listen carefully and say if I noticed anything. I listened for a few minutes and then, something about the song sounded all too familiar. "That's not Eddie Van Halen playing is it?" I asked him. Proud of my ear, he confirmed it was our favorite guitarist playing. I couldn't believe Eddie Van Halen was recorded on Michael Jackson's song, uncredited and unpaid.
Monday night, my dad and I were having our usual conversation about EVH and he told me about how he didn't like some of the band's songs when he was younger, because they had vocal and musical techniques he couldn't fully appreciate. I told him I find the opposite appeals to me. My favorite Van Halen songs are the ones with strong harmonies and vocal techniques, like "Dance the Night Away" and "Pretty Woman"(although, this technically isn't their song). Van Halen is a rock band, but there is so much to appreciate about their skills and music as a band.
The same night, my dad's friend Sam, a film editor, told him a story about Eddie Van Halen, and my dad passed it onto me in the hopes it would help me on my musical journey. Sam said Eddie would practice/write music for several hours at a time, however, he would not record anything until the 61st minute of his practice session. He believed nothing before the 61st minute was worth recording or listening to. Now, while I'm not sure how this information will help you, keep it in the back of your mind if you're working on (or struggling on) a song and maybe it will help you out.
For the last few years I have been dreaming of seeing Van Halen play together again. I mean if Guns N' Roses can do it, anyone can. Sadly with Eddie's premature passing, this dream is over. No band or solo artist has been able to replace the iconic rock & roll bands of the 1980s. I firmly believe this is why the majority of them continue to tour, that and their love for music.
I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite Van Halen anecdotes. As I wrote this I listened to my favorite Van Halen songs, I suggest you go listen to some of the band's tunes right now. If you need help, I've linked "Alexis' Best of Van Halen" playlist. Happy trails.
Thanks for yielding!
Until next time,
Alexis
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