Growing up as the son of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen always seemed destined to follow in his father’s musical footsteps. He went from playing around on his uncle Alex’s drum kit during band rehearsals to becoming a multi-instrumentalist, learning guitar, bass, and keyboards. From 2006 to 2010, Wolfgang played bass alongside his father in Van Halen. After Eddie’s passing in 2020, he turned his attention to his own solo project, Mammoth.
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For some people, it’s easy to claim that Wolfgang Van Halen owes all his musical success to his last name. Here’s how he really feels about the term “nepo baby,” often levied as an insult to children of actors and musicians.
When Wolfgang Van Halen Believes “Nepo Baby” is Applicable
In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Wolfgang Van Halen admitted, “I’m one to talk, but I think the term ‘nepo baby’ is a bit unfair.”
“I think it takes the individuality of the person away,” he continued. “People say Jack Quaid [star of Amazon TV series The Boys and son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid] is one of the ‘good ones’ and it’s like, who decides that?”
However, that isn’t to say he blatantly rejects the term, either. “I’m not going to name names, but in some cases it does apply: the idea of people getting a leg up when they have no artistic merit or talent,” explained the 34-year-old rocker. “All I’m trying to do is be myself and have my own artistic integrity and my own voice. I hope that people can see that.”
[RELATED: Wolfgang Van Halen Says He Had to Back Out of Playing Black Sabbath’s Final Show]
On His Complex Relationship With This Hit Van Halen Song
Wolfgang Van Halen may have gotten “a leg up” when he joined his father’s band as bassist, but his success in the industry has been well earned. Mammoth just released its third album, The End, on Oct. 24.
Still, the inevitable “nepo baby” accusations, combined with the still-fresh grief of losing his father, makes for a messy relationship with “anything Van Halen.”
“It’s still a very emotional thing for me,” he told Eddie Trunk during an Oct. 30 appearance on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation. “I know it’s kind of funny to hear that hearing ‘Runnin’ With The Devil’ could make somebody sad, and I understand that’s people’s connection to my dad and Van Halen, but for me it’s, like, I miss my dad. I can hear the music whenever I want. And that’s the tough thing. So I think interacting with that is still a very emotional process that I’m not really ready at any given time to dive into.”
Featured image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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