* Back to the blues Nov 13, 2009
Raines acknowledges Gilmores B.B. King-inspired playing as an influence, as well as a long list of guitar heroes: Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, and even rockers Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen. Raines enjoys the free expression possible in blues and, like Gilmore, says the diversity he experienced in the south Florida music scene has shaped his personal style. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Las Vegas Sun Nov 10, 2009
BTW, Eddie Van Halen looks 118 not 80, come on gmag do your homework. 8^). (Allston Brighton TAB, MA)
Nightlife: the week ahead Nov 5, 2009
Don t know Eddie Van Halen from Bette Midler. Snack on 10-cent wings and drink $3 PBRs instead. (Boston Globe)
Entertainment Oct 30, 2009
These guys invented the idea of "rocking-out," and on their debut, Van Halen unleashes the supernatural guitarist virtuoso that is Eddie Van Halen to the world. Villanova Student Musical Theatre's first production of the year a rousing success. (The Villanovan, PA)
DJ Hero puts a spin on music gaming Oct 29, 2009
But while we ve all imagined ourselves as Eddie Van Halen, the universe of would-be DJs is probably a lot smaller. Besides, apart from the turntable controller, DJ Hero smacks of the same-old. (Boston Globe)
Book reviews: Local, national authors Oct 27, 2009
Here s another comparison in the spirit of Klosterman: The essays in this book are like guitar solos by his beloved Eddie Van Halen. They show exceptional talent and are original. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
20/20: Valerie Bertinelli Opens Up on Life, Loves Oct 8, 2009
See footage from 1985 interview with hubby Eddie Van Halen, plus new interview. Now, Bertinelli is, as testifies, "Finding It" -- her own voice, a new perspective on her body, motherhood and her broken marriage to rocker Eddie Van Halen. (ABC News)
Kanye West Isn't The Only Bad Boy In Video Music Awards History Sep 17, 2009
" (nobody taunts Axl). To the best of our knowledge, this feud hasn't been settled ... yet. David Lee Roth: At the 1996 VMAs, all four original members of Van Halen reunited onstage for the first time since their infamously acrid breakup in 1985, presenting the award for Best Male Video to Beck. But Roth's behavior onstage he mugged for the camera during Beck's acceptance speech was deemed "embarrassing" and "disrespectful" by VH guitarist Eddie Van Halen, and things only got worse from there.... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Real-life guitar hero: Les Paul Aug 15, 2009
You know, friends like Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen, and Eddie Van Halen guitar heroes to many grateful subsequent generations. U2 guitarist The Edge, who creates his own unique sounds on the Gibson Les Paul guitar, calls him "A legend of the guitar and a true renaissance man, Les Paul disproves the cliche that you can only be famous for one thing," he said. (Christian Science Monitor)
Les Paul dies at 94; guitarist whose innovations paved the way for rock 'n' roll Aug 15, 2009
Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen and Slash are just some of the players who have raised and praised the guitar during their careers. Richards, of the Rolling Stones, said Thursday that "all of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent," while Joe Satriani, whose searing solos sound like cosmic noise compared with Paul's vinyl hits, put the nonagenarian's passing in terms that even the youngest music fan could understand: "He was the original guitar hero.". (FOX59, IN)
Obituary: Les Paul Aug 14, 2009
Despite poor health he continued to play Monday nights at New York's Iridium jazz club, where he was often visited by musical legends such as Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Van Halen. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Les Paul, Guitar Legend, Dead at 94 Aug 14, 2009
" Even as he worked to perfect the electrified guitar, Paul backed up such popular 1940s acts as Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore and the Andrews Sisters. In 1947, he released the revolutionary instrumental "Lover (When You're Near Me)," a precursor to multi-track recording that featured him playing eight different guitar parts. He also recorded hit songs with his wife, singer Mary Ford, including 36 gold records and 11 #1 pop hits such as "How High the Moon," "Lover" and "Vaya Con Dios," many of which... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Les Paul, 94; pioneered recording techniques, inspired ‘a world of guitarists’ Aug 14, 2009
Guitarists who have played Les Pauls make up a who s who of jazz and rock: Page, Wes Montgomery, Eric Clapton, George Benson, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Duane Allman, Keith Richards, Eddie Van Halen, and Slash. At his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mr. Paul said, I have been credited with inventing a few things you guys are using. (Boston Globe)
Hendrix created banner moment at Woodstock Aug 11, 2009
From Jimi Hendrix to Eddie Van Halen, a subjective look at the best axe men in rock history. more photos. (MSNBC -- Music)
Fool Me Once...notes From A Fight Night At Sunrise Jul 17, 2009
An immediate text to a friend in the arena got "absolutely, top 5 ever" feedback, which convinced me I wasn't just imagining that Lysen had just channeled Eddie Van Halen. Blend Eddie's solo on "Beat It" with his 1978 riff "Eruption" and you've Saturday's sound. (ABC 7 News, DC)
Reporter's Notebook Jul 4, 2009
The Eddie Van Halen solo on Beat it just wasn t enough to sway me. Try as I might, however, there was simply no escaping the man or his music. (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, NC)
Michael Jackson is dead Jul 3, 2009
The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.". The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking,... (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Jackson’s influence extends from R&B to pop, rap to rock Jul 2, 2009
He asked guitar heroes Eddie Van Halen, Steve Stevens, and Slash to appear on his records, lending rock cred to his edgier tunes and duetted with classic rock titans Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney. In turn, plenty of rock artists counted themselves fans through the years. (Boston Globe)
Jackson lyrics tell a hard story Jun 30, 2009
The hard rock "Beat It," set to the switchblade guitar runs of Eddie Van Halen, is an anthem of pacifism, or passivity, with Jackson pleading to stop a gang war -- and perhaps all wars -- because "It doesn't matter who's wrong or right.". 1. (Albany Times Union)
Michael Jackson's celebrity suicide (158) Jun 28, 2009
Even Eddie Van Halen the reigning king of rock guitar played with him. Jackson belonged to me in a way he could not belong to ther other kids. (Salon)
Michael Jackson's Bad and Thriller ... Jun 28, 2009
None of his contributions are alike: the edgy, hard-rocking "Beat It," with one of the great cameo guitar solos by Eddie Van Halen; the slick yet overpowering R&B of "Billie Jean"; the dance-floor grooving of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and really the only case of saccharine fluff, "The Girl is Mine," the first of two duets with Paul McCartney (the other one, "Say Say Say," was featured on McCartney's 1983 release Pipes of Peace and is infinitely better). Then there's "Human Nature," the... (Suite101.com)
Blame it on fame Jun 28, 2009
There were collaborations with everyone from Paul McCartney (The Girl is Mine and Say Say Say) to Eddie Van Halen, and he capped it with a brilliant performance of Billie Jean at the Motown 25th anniversary show on March 25, 1983, during which he premiered a new dance known as the moonwalk. At that point, Michael Jackson had become the biggest star on the planet. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
An appreciation: Memories of Michael Jun 27, 2009
Three years later, disco was dead, and the buzz was that Jackson was in an unlikely alliance with the premier heavy metal guitarist of the day -- Eddie Van Halen, who seemed to have nothing to gain from it. Now, I'm not sure what else was on television on May 16, 1983, but everyone was watching the Motown 25th Anniversary special on NBC.. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Vigilante: Jackson was the Jackie Robinson of MTV Jun 27, 2009
He blew that door wide open with "Beat It," which featured a guitar solo by the reigning rock god of the day, Eddie Van Halen. Jackson succeeded in this not just because he was a great singer, but because of his musical daring. (CNN -- US)
Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs Jun 27, 2009
Besides featuring one of the best guitar solos in pop history (provided free of charge by Eddie Van Halen, in a move his accountant no doubt regrets) it's the best example of Jackson's ability to bridge moods and genres ... From enlisting Eddie Van Halen for the guitar solo in "Beat It" to borrowing the now famous refrain "Mama-se, mama-sa, mama-coo-sa" from a Cameroonian saxophonist, Michael Jackson's very best songs drew from influences far and wide. (Time.com)
Jackson had 13 No. 1 hits here are the best Jun 27, 2009
Released a mere six weeks after Billie Jean, Beat It featured one Mr. Eddie Van Halen on guitar, signaling a rare accord between R&B and heavy metal at a time when they were quite firmly segregated from one another. On paper, Jackson's thin, nasal voice is about as wholly unsuited to lyrics about youth violence as Morrissey's would have been, even if he's preaching calculated retreat (also known as running away). (MSNBC -- Music)
The tracks that defined him Jun 26, 2009
But for a black R&B artist to collaborate with rock god Eddie Van Halen in 1983 was nothing short of a revolution. "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song," Jackson said later. (BBC News)
'King of Pop' Michael Jackson: 1958-2009 Jun 26, 2009
The album ``Thriller'' alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of ``Billie Jean,'' the grinding Eddie Van Halen solo on ``Beat It,'' and the hiccups and falsettos on ``Wanna Be Startin' Somethin. . (India Times, India)
The Last Castrato Jun 26, 2009
Having Eddie Van Halen play the guitar sol on Beat It, may have been a gimmick, but it was one that worked and fit. As a result, Jackson ended up leading an early- 80s pantheon that appealed to a broader cross-section of music fans than any before or since: Jackson, Prince (my personal favorite), Madonna, Bruce Springsteen all could be heard on Top 40 radio, the last moment before the industry began to segregate itself again. (The American Conservative)
'King Of Pop' Michael Jackson Dead At 50 Jun 26, 2009
"Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he... (Click2Houston, TX)
Jackson: 'Consummate entertainer' Jun 26, 2009
" Eddie Van Halen, played famous guitar solo on Jackson song "Beat It": "I am really shocked, as I am sure the world is, to hear the news. I had the pleasure of working with Michael on 'Beat It' back in '83 -- one of my fondest memories in my career. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Uhles: Jackson will be remembered for music Jun 26, 2009
You'll find Eddie Van Halen, who played on Thriller; Prince, who was Jackson's closest contemporary and of course, James Brown - lots and lots of James Brown. It should also be noted that not only did Michael Jackson revolutionize the way music sounds, but also the way it was marketed. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Michael Jackson's Musical Legacy, From The Jackson 5 To Invincible Jun 26, 2009
" The exuberant set established Jackson as one of the premier talents in music and positioned him as the sexiest entertainer since Elvis Presley first gyrated his hips on national television.Three years later, however, Jackson would rewrite everything we ever thought we knew about him with one word: Thriller. The epic 1982 collection continues to stand as Jackson's finest work and has become the blueprint that all musicians after would follow, from Justin Timberlake to Jay-Z. Thriller was a... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Nike Denies Copying Van Halen's 'Frankenstein' Guitar Design Jun 18, 2009
Eddie Van Halen is suing the company for using a pattern similar to his iconic guitar on Dunk shoe line. by Eric Ditzian. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Send us video, photos of your child musicians Jun 16, 2009
Can he really tear it up like Eddie Van Halen. Send us video or photos of your budding star. (MSNBC -- Music)
Spike TV Announces 2009 'Guys Choice' Winners Jun 1, 2009
In addition, Eddie Van Halen made a rare public appearance, and was brought to tears as he accepted the first annual "Guitar God Award" for his years of shredding on the six stringed axe ... GUY OF THE YEAR MAN KIND AWARD BRASS BALLS Mickey Rourke Judd Apatow Clint Eastwood BALLSIEST BAND FUNNIEST M.F. GUY MOVIE HALL OF FAME Metallica Sacha Baron Cohen "Fight Club" BIGGEST ASS KICKER SEXIEST SIREN MOST UNSTOPPABLE JOCK Jason Statham Katy Perry LeBron James COMEDY SAVANT MOST DANGEROUS MAN DECADE... (PR Newswire)
Spring training’s already over? Apr 3, 2009
Vernon Reid of Living Colour ahead of Eddie Van Halen ... My guess is that Vernon Reid himself would tell you that if there was no Eddie Van Halen there would be no Vernon Reid (along with MANY guys that came along in the 80 s). (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
`Benjamin Button': Big Oscar loser in the making? Feb 20, 2009
NEW YORK - Nearly two dozen guitars are scattered on the floor and sofa in Conan O'Brien's office in Rockefeller Center, most of them gifts from musicians like Eddie Van Halen, Los Lobos, Les Paul and Brian Setzer. ENTERTAINMENT NEWS. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
INXS singer JD Fortune sacked, living in car Feb 19, 2009
February 19, 2009 08:21am. JD Fortune, the lead singer of INXS who was recruited through a reality show, has been sacked / AP. (NEWS.com.au)
Answer to budget cuts: Stop answering phones Feb 17, 2009
2/14/2009, 3:37 p.m. PST NEW YORK (AP) Nearly two dozen guitars are scattered on the floor and sofa in Conan O'Brien's office in Rockefeller Center, most of them gifts from musicians like Eddie Van Halen, Los Lobos, Les Paul and Brian Setzer. 2/14/2009, 2:00 p.m. PST BERLIN (AP) Director Claudia Llosa's "The Milk of Sorrow," a film that addresses the fears of women abused during Peru's turbulent recent history, won the Berlin film festival's top Golden Bear award on Saturday. (OregonLive, OR -- Living)
Winners and Losers: Rock Star Brothers Feb 15, 2009
WINNER: EDDIE VAN HALEN Although one could debate about how much of a winner Eddie is these days, he's rightfully claimed his spot as one of the most influential guitarists of his generation even if he does have bad luck with lead singers. LOSER: ALEX VAN HALEN When the Van Halen kids were growing up, Eddie played drums while Alex played guitar. (Fox News)
Eddie Van Halen promises more touring Feb 7, 2009
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters fileDavid Lee Roth, left, and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform at Tiger Jam XI in Las Vegas on April 19, 2008 ... LOS ANGELES - Eddie Van Halen is still hot for David Lee Roth. (MSNBC -- Music)
