Eddie Van Halen Had To Confront His Rock Idol for Copying His Guitar Parts (Twice)

Few people are lucky enough to meet their idols, and even fewer get the distinct displeasure of realizing that those idols are copying them—but Eddie Van Halen managed to experience both. Before the guitarist began inspiring countless musicians with his pioneering playing style in Van Halen, he was learning from the greats who came before him. In the late 1970s, Van Halen’s star rose so much that he was able to perform with one of those rock ‘n’ roll idols.

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For most people (and indeed, for Van Halen), it was a dream come true…until it wasn’t. Speaking to Guitar Player in 1979, Van Halen lamented over his experiences touring with Rick Derringer the previous year. As a founding member of The McCoys, Derringer contributed timeless classics to the early rock canon, including “Hang On Sloopy”. In 1973, he scored another hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo”. He also played extensively with The Edgar Winter Group, including their hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride”.

Sharing a stage with a musician of Derringer’s caliber should have been the opportunity of a lifetime. But as Van Halen learned the hard way, not everything that glitters is gold. And despite what the old adage might suggest, imitation doesn’t always feel like flattery.

Eddie Van Halen Recalls Calling out His Rock Idol for Copying Him

All performers work hard to craft a live show that’s not only entertaining to watch but also indicative of their musical talents and strengths. Eddie Van Halen certainly did just that when he was putting together the set for Van Halen’s 1978 World Tour in support of their eponymous debut album. The band spent the 172-show run switching between opening for bands like Black Sabbath and Journey and headlining their own shows in Europe and Japan. For those headlining shows, Van Halen had rock legend Rick Derringer open the show. But trouble began when Eddie noticed something familiar about what Derringer was playing before Van Halen took the stage.

“He did my exact solo,” Eddie told Guitar Player. “After the show, we’re sitting in the bar, and I just said, ‘Hey, Rick. I grew up on your a**. How can you do this? I don’t care if you use the technique. Don’t play my melody.’ And he’s drunk and stupid and going, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ The next night, he does my solo again. He ends the set with ‘You Really Got Me’, which is exactly what we do. So, I hate to say it, but I just told him, ‘Hey, if you’re going to continue doing that, you ain’t opening for us.’ It’s f***ed. Because I’ve seen him plenty of times. I’ve even copied his chops way back then.”

Derringer challenged Eddie, assuming he wouldn’t follow through with his word. He was wrong. Van Halen kicked Derringer off the bill, teaching both Eddie and Derringer a valuable lesson: imitation doesn’t always feel like flattery. In fact, sometimes, it can feel downright insulting.

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