The origins of this, one of America's most successful heavy metal
bands, date back to Pasadena, California, in 1973. Edward

( Eddie ) Van Halen
(b. 26 January 1957, Nijmegen, Netherlands;
guitar, keyboards), Alex Van Halen
(b. 8 May 1955, Nijmegen,
Netherlands; drums) and Michael Anthony
(b. 20 June 1955,
Chicago, Illinois, USA; bass) who were members of the Broken
Combs, persuaded vocalist David Lee Roth
(b. 10 October 1955,
Bloomington, Indiana, USA) to leave the Real Ball Jets and become
a member. After he consented they changed their name to Mammoth.
Specializing in a mixture of 60s and 70s covers plus hard rock
originals, they toured the bar and club circuit of Los Angeles virtually
non-stop during the mid-70s. Their first break came when Gene
Simmons
(bassist of Kiss ) saw one of their club gigs. He was amazed
by the energy they generated and the flamboyance of their lead singer.
Simmons produced a Mammoth demo, but surprisingly it was refused
by many major labels in the USA. It was then discovered that the name
Mammoth was already registered, so they would have to find an
alternative. After considering Rat Salade, they opted for Roth's
suggestion of simply Van Halen. On the strength of Simmons'
recommendation, producer Ted Templeman checked out the band,
was duly impressed and convinced Warner Brothers Records to sign
them. With Templeman at the production desk, Van Halen entered the
studio and recorded their self-titled debut in 1978. The album was
released to widespread critical acclaim and compared with Montrose's
debut in 1974. It featured a unique fusion of energy, sophistication and
virtuosity through Eddie Van Halen's extraordinary guitar lines and
Roth's self-assured vocal style. Within 12 months it had sold two million
units, peaking at number 19 in the Billboard chart; over the years this
album has continued to sell and by 1996 it had been certified in the USA
alone at 9 million sales. Eddie Van Halen was named as Best New
Guitarist Of The Year in 1978, by Guitar Player magazine. The follow-up,
simply titled Van Halen II, kept to the same formula and was equally
successful. Roth's stage antics became even more sensational - he was
the supreme showman, combining theatrical stunts with a stunning voice
to entertaining effect. Women And Children First saw the band start to
explore more musical avenues and experiment with the use of synthesizers.
This came to full fruition on Fair Warning, which was a marked departure
from earlier releases. Diver Down was the band's weakest album, with
the cover versions of 60s standards being the strongest tracks. Nevertheless,
the band could do no wrong in the eyes of their fans and the album, as had
all their previous releases, went platinum. Eddie Van Halen was also a guest
on Michael Jackson 's 'Beat It', a US number 1 in February 1983. With 1
984, released on New Year's Day of that year, the band returned to
Nine original tracks reaffirmed their position as the leading exponents of
heavy-duty melodic metal infused with a pop sensibility. Spearheaded by
'Jump', a Billboard number 1 and UK number 7, the album lodged at number
2 in the US chart for a full five weeks during its one-year residency. This
was easily his most high-profile solo outing, though his other select
engagements outside Van Halen have included work with Private Life and
former Toto member Steve Lukather. Roth upset the applecart by quitting
in 1985 to concentrate on his solo career, and ex-Montrose vocalist Sammy
Hagar
(b. 13 October 1947, Monterey, California, USA) eventually filled the
vacancy. Retaining the Van Halen name, against record company pressure
to change it, the new line-up released 5150 in June 1986. The album name
was derived from the police code for the criminally insane, as well as the
name of Eddie Van Halen's recording studio. The lead-off single, 'Why Can't
This Be Love', reached number 3 in the Billboard chart and number 8 in the
UK, while the album became their first US number 1 and their biggest seller
to date. OU812 was a disappointment in creative terms. The songs were
formularized and lacked real direction, but the album became the band's
second consecutive number 1 in less than two years. For Unlawful Carnal
Knowledge, written as the acronym F.U.C.K., stirred up some controversy
at the time of release. However, the music on the album transcended the
juvenile humour of the title, being an immaculate collection of gritty and
uncompromising rockers. The band had defined their identity anew and rode
into the 90s on a new creative wave - needless to say, platinum status was
attained yet again. A live album prefigured the release of the next studio set,
Balance, with Van Halen's popularity seemingly impervious to the ravages of
time or fashion. It is unusual for a greatest hits compilation to debut at number
1 but the band achieved this on the Billboard chart in 1996 with Best Of
Volume 1. Hagar departed in 1996 after rumours persisted that he was at
loggerheads with the other members. Fans immediately rejoiced when it was
announced that the replacement would be David Lee Roth, although not on a
full-time basis. A few months later, Roth issued a statement effectively ruling
out any further involvement. The vacancy went to Gary Cherone
(b. 26 1961,
Malden, Massachusetts, USA) soon after Extreme announced their formal
disbanding in October 1996. The first album to feature Cherone, Van Halen III,
was universally slated.