The Final Performance of Van Halen
On October 4, 2015, Van Halen took the stage at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, delivering what would become their final performance. This concert marked the end of a remarkable journey for one of rock music’s most successful and influential bands. The Hollywood Bowl, located about 30 minutes from the modest 800-square-foot home in Pasadena, California, where the Van Halen brothers—drummer Alex and guitarist Eddie—grew up, served as a poignant backdrop for this significant moment in rock history.
The journey from their childhood home to the heights of rock stardom was filled with extraordinary experiences, encompassing the euphoria of success, the pitfalls of excess, and the shadows of personal tragedy. Now, at 71, Alex reflects on the importance of gratitude for every moment they shared. During a video call in September from his residence in the Los Angeles area, he quoted a wise saying: “In the effort lies the reward.” Dressed casually in a blue checkered button-down shirt beneath a leather jacket, with sunglasses shielding his eyes and his dark hair swept back, he appeared both relaxed and contemplative. A gold record for Van Halen’s groundbreaking 1978 self-titled debut album hung on an otherwise bare wall behind him, a testament to their monumental achievements.
“That’s precisely how Ed and I felt,” he expressed. “The ride was the reward. And it’s been one hell of a ride.” This exhilarating journey, particularly the first three decades, is beautifully chronicled in “Brothers,” a book set to be released on October 22. The project emerged from a place of deep personal loss after Eddie, his younger brother by roughly 20 months, succumbed to cancer in October 2020. Alex described the writing process as “a painful experience,” yet he emphasized the necessity of confronting pain to reach healing, stating, “You’ve got to go through the pain to get to the other part.”
The bond between the Van Halen brothers was extraordinarily close. “Every day, the first thing I’d do is call him,” Alex recalled. “We would talk, we would yell and scream at each other, but we were always supportive.”
On stage, Alex commanded attention, especially during Van Halen’s early years. Fans still remember his electrifying presence—bare-chested and passionately drumming behind a massive kit in the 1981 music video for “Unchained.” However, he often preferred to remain more reserved in interviews, allowing the flamboyant lead singer, David Lee Roth, and his talented brother to take center stage in the limelight. Eddie, celebrated as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, frequently garnered the most attention, but Alex’s contributions were equally vital to the band’s success.
