Wolfgang Van Halen, son of the late, legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, has opened up about his deeply personal reasons for no longer listening to or regularly performing the music of his family’s iconic band, Van Halen. In a new interview with Drumeo, the Mammoth frontman explained that since his father’s passing in 2020, the joy he once found in the music has been replaced by a profound sense of loss.
“I just don’t listen to Van Halen anymore,” Wolfgang admitted (as transcribed by Guitar.com). “I understand, like, that’s the connection that everybody has. But, obviously, my connection was a little different.” He went on to say, “It’s just not as fun, unfortunately.”
Wolfgang, who served as Van Halen‘s bassist from 2006 to 2015, stated that his desire to perform the band’s classic material ended with his father’s death. “I’m really just not interested in playing it anymore without Dad,” he said. “And I know he [uncle Alex Van Halen] feels the exact same way… Overall, it’s really a tough thing for me.”
He believes his uncle Alex, who he describes as “a private guy to begin with,” shares his reluctance to revisit the music live. “Now, it’s like, why would you want to play?” Wolfgang reflected.
Despite the difficulty, Wolfgang cherishes the time he spent in the band alongside his father and uncle. “When it comes to listening to it, it’s just like, I have the memories,” he said. “I’m so happy of the time that I was able to be in that three-piece with Dad and Al.”
He has made rare exceptions to perform Van Halen songs, most notably at the 2022 tribute concerts for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, where he played “Hot For Teacher” and “On Fire”. He explained that these are special circumstances. “If [Foo Fighters frontman] Dave Grohl comes to me and goes like, ‘Hey, you wanna do this?’ Like, ‘Yes, Dave Grohl, I would like to do that with you.’”
With his focus now firmly on his own band, Mammoth, Wolfgang has released two albums and is currently working on a third. The band recently released a new single, “The End,” accompanied by a music video directed by Robert Rodriguez. Mammoth has also announced a 2025 North American tour with support from Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy.
While Wolfgang has distanced himself from performing his father’s music, there have been whispers of a potential posthumous Van Halen project led by his uncle. Earlier this year, Alex Van Halen teased that he was working on a new album, with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather reportedly involved. “Ed and Steve Lukather were very good friends and they often worked together,” Alex was quoted as saying. “There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can.”
