Alex Van Halen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alex Van Halen
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Van Halen performing in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander Arthur van Halen |
| Born | May 8, 1953 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Origin | Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Eddie Van Halen (brother) |
Alexander Arthur Van Halen (born May 8, 1953) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer and a co-founder of the famous rock band Van Halen. He started the band in 1972 with his younger brother, Eddie Van Halen.
The band was first called "Mammoth." Later, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth joined in 1974. That's when they changed their name to Van Halen. Warner Bros. Records signed the band in 1977. Their first album came out a year later.
Van Halen released 12 studio albums. Alex and Eddie were the only members who stayed in the band the whole time. The band stopped playing in 2020 after Eddie passed away. Alex Van Halen is known for his amazing drumming skills. Many people think he is one of the greatest drummers ever.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Alex Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His father, Jan van Halen, was a talented jazz musician. His mother, Eugenia van Beers, was from Indonesia. Alex spent his early years in the Netherlands. In 1962, his family moved to Pasadena, California, in the United States.
Both Alex and his brother Eddie learned to play classical piano when they were kids. Alex first wanted to be a guitarist. Eddie started out playing the drums. While Eddie was working to pay for his drum kit, Alex would practice on it. Alex soon became better at drums than Eddie.
After hearing Alex play the drum solo from "Wipe Out", Eddie decided to switch to electric guitar. Alex was inspired by drummers like Ray Phillips from the band Budgie.
Alex, Eddie, and three friends formed their first band. They called themselves "The Broken Combs." Alex played the saxophone in this band. They even performed at their elementary school during lunchtime.
In 1971, Alex finished high school. He then studied music at Pasadena City College. There, he met Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth. They formed the band Mammoth together. Alex and the others soon left college to focus on their music.
Building a Rock Band
Before Van Halen, Alex and Eddie were in several bands. These included The Space Brothers and The Trojan Rubber Company.
In 1972, the brothers formed Mammoth. Eddie sang lead vocals at first. They rented sound equipment from David Lee Roth for their shows. Eddie soon got tired of singing. He asked Roth to join the band as the lead singer.
In 1974, they changed the band's name to Van Halen. This was because another band already had the name Mammoth. Michael Anthony replaced their first bass player. David Lee Roth said he suggested naming the band after Alex. Besides playing drums, Alex also helped manage the band. He would book their concerts and handle other tasks.
Their first album, Van Halen, came out in 1978. It was a huge success and influenced many hard rock musicians. The band released eleven more studio albums after that. Van Halen officially stopped making music in October 2020. This was about a month after Eddie's passing.
The term "brown sound" is often linked to Eddie's guitar. However, Alex actually created this term. He used it to describe the sound of his snare drum.
Alex rarely recorded music without his brother. Michael Anthony once said that Alex only played with Eddie. The only time Alex recorded outside of Van Halen was on an instrumental song. It was called "Respect the Wind" by Eddie Van Halen. This song was for the Twister movie soundtrack. The Van Halen brothers even received a Grammy Award nomination for it.
In June 2024, Alex sold much of his old drum equipment. This made many people think he might not play music publicly anymore. He released a book called Brothers on October 22, 2024. He also did a short tour to promote the book.
Drumming Gear
Alex Van Halen uses Ludwig drums, pedals, and hardware. He also uses Paiste cymbals, Remo drumheads, and Regal Tip drumsticks. He has worked with Paiste to create his own special ride cymbal. It is a 2002 24-inch Big ride.
He has also used Rototoms and octobans in his drum setups. Alex is known for using very large drum kits. These often include a huge orchestral gong that is sometimes set on fire. He also uses four bass drums, though he started with two. Regal Tip created special drumsticks with Alex Van Halen's name on them.
Musical Inspirations
Alex Van Halen was influenced by many great drummers. Some of his main inspirations include Billy Cobham, Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, and John Bonham. He has also said that jazz drummer Buddy Rich had a big impact on him from an early age.
Personal Life
Alex Van Halen has been married three times. He married Valeri Kendall in 1983, but they separated a few months later. In 1984, he married Kelly Carter. They had a son born in 1989. They later separated in 1996. There was a disagreement about the use of the 'Van Halen' name, which was later resolved.
Alex married his current wife, Stine Schyberg, in 2000. She is the mother of his son, Malcolm Van Halen. Alex is also the uncle of Wolfgang Van Halen, who played bass in Van Halen later on.
Because of playing loud music for many years, Alex has significant hearing loss. In 1995, he started using special in-ear monitors. These helped him hear the band better on stage and protected his hearing.
Discography
Solo Music
- "Respect the Wind" for Twister (1996) with Eddie Van Halen
Books
- Brothers (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Alex Van Halen para niños
