

When He Became the First Guitar God to Hold a U.S. Yes, this story is true, according to Runnin’ With the Devil, a 2017 memoir by Van Halen’s former manager, Noel Monk. It hit Steve Perry, though, and Steve Perry cried.- Sean Gentille October 6, 2020 True story: In 1978, Eddie Van Halen got so pissed at David Lee Roth backstage that he threw a bowl of guacamole at him. The Time He Threw a Bowl of Guacamole at David Lee RothĮxcept the guac landed on someone who was definitely not David Lee Roth:

As Van Halen recalled in that same CNN piece, “I listened to the song, and I immediately go, ‘Can I change some parts?’ I turned to the engineer and I go, ‘Okay, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.’” Thank God, Jackson approved. Nearly as impressive as the solo itself is the fact that Van Halen rearranged and improved “Beat It” in a matter of minutes while Michael Jackson was out of the room. Oh, and He Rearranged “Beat It” Without MJ’s Permission He just asked for a case of beer and for MJ to give him dance lessons. When Eddie Van Halen was asked to do the solo on “Beat It” from Thriller he didn’t want to be credited or paid because it would make everything too complicated. Some accounts claim that Van Halen was compensated with a case of beer: According to a 2012 CNN interview, he did it purely as a favor to producer Quincy Jones, thinking the song - which would spend weeks at the top of the Billboard chart - would barely be heard: “I said to myself, ‘Who is going to know that I played on this kid’s record, right? Nobody’s going to find out.’” But Eddie Van Halen took less than an hour to record the electrifying solo on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” and he wasn’t even paid for it. It’s one of the most deservedly legendary guitar solos in pop history, and you’ll recognize it whether or not you know the difference between David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar.
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The Time He Recorded the “Beat It” Solo for Free in Half an Hour Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most legendary and unforgettable EVH stories from a lifetime of rock. The guitarist’s death this week, following a lengthy cancer battle, prompted countless fans, fellow rockers, and imitators to pay tribute to his influence and share their favorite Eddie Van Halen stories. From his iconic “Beat It” solo to his wildly unique patented guitar innovations, the guitarist’s influence on pop culture stretched well beyond rock-radio staples like “Jump.”

Van Halen was also a hero and occasional mentor to guitarists as wide-ranging as Dimebag Darrell, Tom Morello, Mike McCready, and countless others. With his exuberant, virtuosic playing, his lightning-speed solos, and his seemingly effortless “tapping” (a badass-sounding technique in which both hands are used in finger-tapping on the fretboard), the late rocker redefined the sound of the electric guitar and helped shape the course of ’80s rock and glam-metal. Photo: Paul Natkin/WireImage/Getty ImagesĮddie Van Halen was the kind of outsize musician the term “guitar god” was invented to describe. The guitarist’s death this week has prompted countless fans, fellow rockers, and imitators to pay tribute to his influence and share their favorite Eddie Van Halen stories.
