The two brothers from Pasadena California would begin playing music at a very young age and would dream of one day playing in front of large audiences. Little did they know, they would go on to form one of the most popular hard rock bands of all time called Van Halen. As kids, Eddie played drums and Alex played guitar although each brother would end up switching instruments later in their lives.

Van Halen

Music is for people. The word "pop" is simply short for popular. It means that people like it.

Brothers from Pasadena

The two brothers from Pasadena California would begin playing music at a very young age and would dream of one day playing in front of large audiences. Little did they know, they would go on to form one of the most popular hard rock bands of all time called Van Halen. As kids, Eddie played drums and Alex played guitar although each brother would end up switching instruments later in their lives.

They would start out with their band called Mammoth, where they recruited singer David Lee Roth due to the fact that they needed a singer and some stage equipment. Roth had both and the group was up and running. The group would eventually bring in Michael Anthony on base after deciding to replace their previous bassist and subsequently the group would change its name to that of the present.

Winding Up

The group would start out by paying their dues like many other rock n' roll groups and perform for high school parties and college hot spots. Through these small performances, the group would gain a relatively large following for what was considered a garage band. They landed their first true gig at the night club called Gazzarri's on Sunset Strip. After the performance, they would go on to produce their first demo album at a studio no longer in existence. The group had by now become regulars on the strip in Los Angeles and had a solid fan base from which to work with.

The group would fly to New York where they would begin production on their demo that featured songs such as Runnin' With the Devil and would complete their first thirteen track EP. The EP would be taken to the then manager of the group Kiss, where they were told they would never make it in rock n' roll. However, history would not have it that way. The year 1977 rolled around and Van Halen would perform at one of their regular spots called Starwood.

During that night, producers Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman would be present and would offer the group a generous recording contract where the group would record their first full length studio album on Sunset Sound Recorders. Within days of its release, the album would be at number nineteen at the Billboard Album Charts and the group would go on tour with Black Sabbath for the rest of the year.

Cruise Control

After the band's tour with Black Sabbath, they would head right back to the studio to release their next album called Van Halen II, which would be very similar in style to their debut album. The album was an instant success and contained the hit single called Dance the Night Away. The group was on cruise control at this point and had established themselves as one of the leading rock n' roll acts of the day. They would continue releasing multiple albums throughout the 1980's and following each album with heavy touring in its support. The group would eventually end up replacing David Lee Roth but not before he left his mark in the rock n' roll world as well.

They would replace the singer with Sammy Hagar and would continue to crank out the hits. The 1980's would be written in the history books with the group being one of the top grossing acts of the decade. Van Halen continues to be a stadium filling act up until the present. The many fans of the group can visit their official website where they may find free music downloads or music for internet screening.

Did You Know

• David Lee Roth went on to have a relatively successful solo career after leaving the band.
• The group has won numerous Grammy Awards for their albums and singles.
• The group auditioned Patty Smythe for Roth's position but she refused to join the band.

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