Having a legendary surname like Van Halen can set you up for a lifetime of scrutiny, especially when your father is considered by many to be the greatest guitarist of all time. Wolfgang Van Halen, son of Eddie Van Halen, is no stranger to this kind of pressure. But if the expectations have ever weighed on him, he’s certainly not letting it show.
“People always think that dad taught me how to play everything,” Wolfgang explained in an interview with Bass Player. “He called me a ‘rhythm bassist,’ but all he did was teach me a power chord and an AC/DC-style drum beat. From there, I just played along.”
Wolfgang’s musical journey with Van Halen took a bold turn on the band’s twelfth and final studio album, A Different Kind of Truth (2012). Stepping up as the band’s bassist, Wolfgang played a crucial role, matching his father’s virtuosity note-for-note on tracks like “China Town” and “Honeybabysweetiedoll.” On other songs like “Tattoo” and “You and Your Blues,” he took a more supportive approach, contributing to the album’s dynamic sound.
For Wolfgang, the process of recording A Different Kind of Truth was an opportunity to explore and rediscover his father’s musical legacy. “Every time I would go into the back room of the studio, I’d see walls of tapes with music that nobody’s really heard,” he said. “I thought, people need to hear this, because dad wrote this music in the same headspace as songs like ‘Dance The Night Away’ and ‘Runnin’ With The Devil.’ I wanted to take some ideas out and rework them. I feel it brought him back to that time when he wrote those older songs. That’s why I think that record sounds so ‘old’ – in a good way.”
Wolfgang’s journey with Van Halen began after the 2006 departure of bassist Michael Anthony. The band reformed with original frontman David Lee Roth, with Eddie and Wolfgang joining forces alongside drummer Alex Van Halen to complete the lineup. Despite being the son of rock royalty, Wolfgang has continued to carve out his own musical identity, not only honoring his father’s legacy but also adding his own distinct voice to the band’s iconic sound.
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