Eddie Van Halen was reportedly plotting away at putting together a “kitchen-sink tour” that would see previous members of the band reunite on stage once more.
Wolfgang Van Halen recently sat down with SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show, in the first interview since his fathers passing. During the interview, Wolfgang delved into his late father’s ambitious plans that unfortunately never came into fruition as his cancer took a turn for the worse.
According to Wolfgang, Eddie Van Halen was considering developing a tour that would’ve seen bassist Michael Anthony — who hadn’t played with the band since 2004 — Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth join forces. According to Wolfgang, Eddie was even considering hitting up Gary Cherone, who played with the band on one album.
“If only things had been better,” Wolfgang said, “it would have been amazing.”
Check out Wolfgang Van Halen on The Howard Stern Show:
The interview was conducted in promotion of Wolfgang Van Halen’s debut solo song ‘Distance’, a tribute to his late father. Wolfgang helmed the track whilst Eddie was in the thick of his cancer battle, per a statement he revealed that he was “imagining what my life would be without him and how terribly I’d miss him.”
The track ends on a poignant note, with a voicemail message from Eddie saying “I’m so happy to have you as my son. I’m so proud of you. I love you so much. Call me if you get a chance. I just want to hear your voice. OK? I love you. [Kiss noise].”
Wolfgang plays all instruments and sings on the track. The new project has been dubbed Mammoth WVH — a reference to one of Eddie’s pre-Van Halen bands.
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“While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life,” Wolfgang shared. “I never intended ‘Distance’ to be the very first piece of music people would hear from me, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release. This is for him. I love and miss you, Pop.”
Check out ‘Distance’ by Mamoth WVH:
Eddie Van Halen passed away on October 6th following a lengthy battle with cancer.
