Over the years, wise Van Halen fans learned not to count on anything. If VH pulled it together long enough to deliver another album full of crunching glory, you could rejoice. But expecting it to happen only led to disappointment. Case in point: Van Halen’s 1996 reunion with original lead singer David Lee Roth that somehow fell apart almost before it started. It was one of the legendary band’s most controversial, yet totally on-brand, incidents.
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Roth Returns
After more than a decade at the helm as the band’s lead singer, Sammy Hagar fell out with the other members of Van Halen in 1996. Hagar had replaced David Lee Roth, the free-spirited showman whose antics (and lyrical skills) helped define the early stages of the band’s career.
The same year that Hagar departed, Van Halen started putting together a greatest hits package. It would include songs from both the Roth and Hagar eras. Roth, who hadn’t spoken with Eddie Van Halen in years at that point, decided to reach out after he was notified. They agreed to meet up in the studio to record a few new tracks for the compilation.
It’s at this point in our story where we must note that there isn’t much consensus on what happened behind the scenes. All we know for sure is that the original four Van Halen members made a very public appearance together again. It sparked hopes for a full-fledged Van Halen reunion. But it was a reunion that didn’t happen.
Awards Show Chaos
The main point of contention is what Roth was promised aside from the two songs that he recorded with the band. To promote the greatest hits package, the four men presented an award at the 1996 MTV Awards in September. What happened next wasn’t pretty, but somehow not unexpected considering VH’s volatility.
To rapturous applause, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony walked out onto the awards show stage. Roth, ever the hambone, decided to deviate from the teleprompter script. He made note of how long it had been since the men had stood together in such a scenario.
Roth also indulged in some mugging while the other members of the band attempted to present the award. Beck, enjoying a monster year thanks to his Odelay album, won the award. While Eddie Van Halen later complained that Roth’s behavior upstaged the winner, Beck, for his part, didn’t take any offense.
At a press conference backstage, things went poorly. While the reporters tried to verify if this meant that the men were back together as a working concern, Eddie Van Halen kept things vague. But Roth made it seem for all the world like he was back in the fold.
The Ugly Aftermath
Not even a month later, heaping helpings of cold water were poured on the Van Halen reunion hopes. Roth, who first broke the news of the falling out on his website, claimed that he would never have appeared with the band if he hadn’t been promised the full-time job of lead singer. The remaining members of Van Halen quickly responded that they hadn’t promised anything.
Eddie Van Halen later gave a caustic interview to MTV, disparaging Roth’s behavior and putting to bed any hopes that he would replace Hagar. It later emerged that the band had been auditioning singers the whole time, all while this was transpiring. Roth even claimed that he found out after the fact that the band had secretly hired Gary Cherones, even before the MTV Awards appearance took place.
Those hoping that the original incarnation of the band would once again rule the hard rock roost would have to wait. Roth would finally make it back into the band for a couple of tours in the 2000s and one final studio album in 2012. But the memories of those events pale in comparison to wondering what might have been if he and Eddie could have completely buried the hatchet the first time around.
Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage
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