Michael Anthony has detailed how he was able to finally get closure following the death of Eddie Van Halen.
The former bandmates had been estranged for years prior to the guitarist’s passing. Anthony was infamously forced to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the Van Halen band name before going on tour with the group in 2004. When the band reconvened for a tour in 2015, he was replaced by Eddie’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen.
In a recent conversation with Sally Steele, Anthony admitted that he didn’t see the lineup change coming, but added that he was understanding of the move.
READ MORE: Van Halen Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide
“I didn’t see [Eddie] grooming [Wolfgang] for my job,” the bassist noted. “Because he played drums. That was his first instrument that he played. And he knew a couple of chords on guitar, because in 2004 when we did the Van Halen reunion tour, Wolfie came out and actually strummed a couple of chords with [Eddie] at some of the shows. But being Eddie Van Halen’s kid, you’re gonna be a multi-instrumental person anyway.”
“Eddie, he wanted to play with his son,” Michaels explained. “The way I kind of feel is that Wolfgang probably wasn’t excited, really, about being in Van Halen. That’s why in his band (now), he doesn’t play any Van Halen, because he wants to carve out his own niche.”
Michael Anthony Reconnected With Wolfgang Van Halen
Anthony noted that he and Eddie “never had a chance to really settle any differences that we had in the past” prior to the guitarist’s death. Still the bassist was able to get closure in late 2023 when he attended a concert by Wolfgang’s band, Mammoth WVH.
READ MORE: Top 10 Van Halen Michael Anthony Songs
“I went to the show as his guest,” Anthony recalled. “And we talked, we sat and talked, and there was a lot of closure for me there. Valerie [Bertinelli] was there. So it was a great night. Besides the fact that Wolf is a great guy, great musician, his band kicks ass.”
This summer Anthony will join Sammy Hagar for the Best of All Worlds tour, focussed on material from Van Halen. The trek kicks off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
