David Lee Roth Says Love Affair With Eddie Van Halen Was The Best He Ever Had - Noise11.com
Shares
FacebookXPinterestEmailSumoMe
David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform on stage during 2013 STONE Music Festival at ANZ Stadium on April 20, 2013 in Sydney, Australia photo by Ros O'Gorman

David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform on stage during 2013 STONE Music Festival at ANZ Stadium on April 20, 2013 in Sydney, Australia photo by Ros O'Gorman

David Lee Roth Says Love Affair With Eddie Van Halen Was The Best He Ever Had

by Music-News.com on January 2, 2023

in News

David Lee Roth says working with Eddie Van Halen was “better than any love affair”.

Although the pair often clashed during their time together in Van Halen, Roth revealed how much he misses his late bandmate, who died in 2020.

Speaking on ‘The Roth Show’, he said: “My dear departed Ed. Boy, I miss him. I had a ball with Ed. Walt Disney once said, ‘You know what? My love affair with Mickey Mouse was better than any love affair with a woman I ever had.’ I’ve gotta tell ya: playing with Ed, writing songs with Ed, presenting those songs with Ed was better than any love affair I ever had.

“And some of those songs, I think, might last forever – or until the last syllable of time, like Shakespeare said. They became anthems. Where are they playing ‘Jump’ right now?”

Roth – who last played with Van Halen in 2015 – also gave an insight into creating ‘Jump’.

He said: “I remember when he played [‘Jump’] on the keyboard downstairs. I said, ‘No.’ Well, we reflect the times, and the times at that time was guitars, guitars, guitars; and ‘Jump’ was one of those hybrids.”

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Eddie recorded guitar parts for a planned Chris Cornell collaboration.

One of the late Soundgarden frontman’s former collaborators Pete Thorn – who toured with Cornell and played guitar on some songs from his 2009 album ‘Scream’ – claimed the two rockers came close to working together on a track.

Appearing on ‘The Mitch Lafon and Jeremy White Show’ podcast, he said: “They were buddies… Eddie always wanted to do something with Chris, musically.

“He loved his voice and he used to be like, ‘Man, I love him. We were always talking about doing something together.’”

During the ‘Scream’ sessions, Thorn helped produce versions of ‘Long Gone’ and the title track, and it was at this point Cornell thought about getting Van Halen to join them.

He added: “[Cornell and I were] in a parking lot listening to them in my car, I remember, and he looked at me and he said, ‘Hey what do you think if we got Eddie to work on this?’ ”

Cornwell died aged 52 in May 2017.

Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here

Be the first to see NOISE.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

YouTube video player

Noise11.com

Follow Noise11 on Social Media

Noise11 on Instagram

You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter

Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook

Gavin Ryan reports with thanks to Australian-Charts.com

Related Posts

David Bowie I Cant Give Everything Away
David Bowie’s Next and Final Box Set is ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’

‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’ is the sixth and final box set in the David Bowie series covering his entire career.

3 hours ago
Jeff Lynne photo from Jefflynneselo website
Dhani Harrison Joins Jeff Lynne For Traveling Wilburys At ELO Concert Birmingham

While Black Sabbath was doing their final ever Back To The Beginning show in Villa Park, in their hometown Birmingham on Saturday night, across town four kilometres away Jeff Lynne was also performing at Utilita Arena in his hometown, Birmingham as well as Dhani Harrison joined Jeff.

4 days ago
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath photo by Ros OGorman
Black Sabbath Return Back To The Beginning In Birmingham For The End

Black Sabbath played their final show in hometown Birmingham, UK on Saturday (5 July 2025) with a massive all-day festival featuring the world’s biggest rock acts.

4 days ago
The Doobie Brothers at Bluesfest Melbourne photo by Mary Boukouvalas
Tom Johnston Says He Nearly Died When He Left Doobie Brothers in 1977

When Tom Johnston left The Doobie Brothers in 1977, he says he nearly died.

6 days ago
Foreigner Premiere Previously Unreleased ‘4’ Track ‘Fool If You Love Him Ahead of Box Set Release

Foreigner have premiered the previously unreleased ‘Fool If You Love Him’, a song recorded but not used on the ‘4’ album.

7 days ago
Supertramp Crime of the Century
Two Supertramp Classics Remastered for 50th Anniversary

Supertramp’s 1974 classic ‘Crime of the Century’ and 1975 classic ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ have been remastered to mark the 50th anniversary of the released.

7 days ago
Cold Chisel The Big Five O Live
Cold Chisel To Release Live DVD/Blu-Ray From Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Cold Chisel’s ‘The Big Five-O Live’ show, recently broadcast of television, will be available on CD, vinyl, DVD and Blu-Ray in August.

July 2, 2025