Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga - Hardcover

by Ian Christe (Author)

The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock band

How did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredible fast and furious guitar solos? What makes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar so wacky? And, are all those stories about groupies, booze bashes, and contract riders true? The naked truth is laid bare in Everybody Wants Some--the real-life story of a rock 'n' roll fantasy come true.

Front Jacket

What kind of a band turns rock music inside out, sells 75 million albums, and sets concert attendance records, then vanishes--not even appearing on the night of their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Come backstage for a complete close encounter with the multitalented and misunderstood Van Halen, the ultimate American rock stars.

For the first time, Everybody Wants Some tells the complete uncensored story of Van Halen, whose charming smiles and musical chemistry survived misfit childhoods, sibling rivalry, nasty bouts with tabloid snoops, painful divorces, bitter band breakups, long-term substance abuse, and harrowing brushes with cancer.

You'll follow Eddie and Alex van Halen from their quiet but music-filled boyhoods in Holland through their transformative years in Southern California, where seeing the Dave Clark Five on the Ed Sullivan Show turned them away from classical music and into stone rockers overnight.

You'll meet David Lee Roth, whose hyperactive childhood was a prelude to his manic adult life as the ultimate rock showman. And you'll discover why easygoing bassist Michael Anthony, who lent the Van Halen brothers equipment even though he played in a rival local band, responded to his first meeting with Roth by saying, "Get that guy away from me."

You'll sit with Sammy Hagar, whose struggles for acceptance as replacement singer led the band to unexpected places--including four consecutive number one albums. And don't forget Gary Cherone--Van Halen's much younger, and nearly forgotten, third singer. After years of struggle as a cover band from Pasadena, ?Van Halen exploded out of the Hollywood rock scene in 1978, and the rest is history . . . and myth . . . and legend . . . and rumor . . . and gossip. Ian Christe separates fact from fiction in his account of the band's most stunning exploits, as they elevated fun with groupies, circus-like stage spectacles, MTV videos, and bizarre contract riders to hedonistic art forms. Christe also reveals the truth behind Roth's separation from the band, Van Halen's great success but difficult relationship with Sammy Hagar, and Eddie's marriage to sweetheart TV actress Valerie Bertinelli.

Now firmly ensconced in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Van Halen still grabs headlines whenever someone whispers the magic words, "reunion tour." Everybody Wants Some brings the saga of Van Halen--from young lions to troubled monarchs--to vivid life in all of its exuberant, decadent, vulnerable, and awesome dimensions.

Back Jacket

The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock band

How did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredible fast and furious guitar solos? What makes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar so wacky? And, are all those stories about groupies, booze bashes, and contract riders true? The naked truth is laid bare in Everybody Wants Some--the real-life story of a rock 'n' roll fantasy come true.

Author Biography

Ian Christe is the author of "Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal," the definitive "bible" of heavy metal music and culture. He has written about music and technology for "Reuters," "Spin," "Guitar World," "Popular Mechanics," "Wired," "Salon.com," and "Blender." He appears frequently on VH1, VH1-Classic, MTV2, and in documentary films, and he comments often for media outlets like "Fox News," "MSNBC," and "USA Weekend." Since 2004, his Bloody Roots show has appeared weekly on Sirius Satellite Radio.