Brothers

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes substance use and addiction.

Born in 1953 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Alex Van Halen immigrated to the United States with his father, Jan, mother, Eugenia, and brother, Eddie, in 1962. They settled in Pasadena, California. He learned about the music business from his father, who was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Eugenia pushed both Alex and Eddie to become classical pianists, and both won first place in their respective age groups at the Long Beach City College classical piano contest three years consecutively. Nevertheless, the Van Halen brothers were drawn to rock ‘n’ roll music because of bands such as the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five.

Initially, Alex intended to play guitar and Eddie drums, but they discovered that the other was much better with their instrument and switched. In elementary school, they formed a band, the Broken Combs. As teenagers, they formed another band and became popular playing backyard parties around Pasadena. At one such gig, they met David Lee Roth, the singer for a competing band. Because of Roth’s charisma and enthusiasm, they invited him to join their band, now named Van Halen. Soon after, they added bass player Michael Anthony Sobolewski.