• Alex Van Halen was born on 8 May 1953 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• He switched instruments with his brother, Eddie, from guitar to drums.
• He is the co-founder and drummer of the American hard-rock band Van Halen.
• He has an estimated net worth of $110 Mіllіоn.
• He almost lost a finger shortly before signing with Warner Bros. Records.
Known for movies
Short Info
| Net Worth | $75 million |
| Date Of Birth | May 8, 1953 |
| Spouse | Stine Schyberg, Kelly Van Halen, Valeri Kendall, Jump, Hot for Teacher, Eruption |
| Mark | The Brown Sound (referring to the unique sound of his snare drum) |
| Fact | Started off playing the guitar while his brother Eddie played drums. One day, Alex decided to try out Eddie's drums and found he was much better at them than at guitar. Eddie, in turn, tried out Alex's guitar and saw he was much better at that. |
Alex Van Halen is a musician born on 8 May 1953, in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands. He’s known for being the co-founder and drummer of the American hard-rock band Van Halen.
Early Life
Alexander Arthur van Halen was born the son of Jan van Halen, a jazz saxophonist and Eugenia van Beers, of Indo origin. In 1962, the entire family moved from Netherlands to Pasadena, California USA, and shortly after their arrival to the country they changed their last name from “van Halen” to “Van Halen”. Alex has a younger brother named Edward “Eddie” Lodewijk van Halen. Alex studied at Hamilton Elementary School in Pasadena, and matriculated from Pasadena High School in 1971. He attended Pasadena City College to study Music, but never finished his studies as he left college.
Interest in music
Due to their father’s profession, Alex and his younger brother Edward became interested in music from an early age, and were trained as classical pianists. However, as the brothers grew-up they became influenced by the rock movement from England, and so developed an interest in playing more instruments.
While his brother Eddie became more interested on drums, Alex developed an interest in the guitar, and started taking flamenco guitar lessons while he was still in primary school. As time passed, Alex also became interested in playing the drums as he started practicing with his brother’s drum kit. Alex ended up completely losing his interest in playing the guitar, and he and his brother finally switched instruments permanently when Edward started playing the guitar.
Career’s First Steps
First Bands
Alex and his brother Eddie formed their first band named The Broken Combs along with three other boys, when they were still attending Primary School. They formed other bands in their teens, which were named The Trojan Rubber Company, Genesis, and The Space Brothers.
Mammoth – 1972
Mammoth was formed when Alex was attending Pasadena City College. The band’s line-up at the time was Alex on drums, Eddie on vocals and Mark Stone on bass; they rented the electronic system and equipment of David Lee Roth, who Alex met before leaving College.
Soon after the band’s formation, they changed their line-up when Eddie asked Roth to join the band and become its vocalist.
To Roth’s suggestion they changed the band’s name to Van Halen in 1974, since their former name “Mammoth” was already taken by another band. At the time, Mark Stone left the band and was replaced by Michael Anthony.
Van Halen
First Steps: 1974 – 1977
With a new line-up and name, the band started playing shows in Southern California, with Alex also performing managerial duties besides his role as a drummer.
Van Halen played at several private parties, parks and small night clubs thanks to the band’s self promotion. However, it was the night club “Gazzari” –one of the most famous clubs in the city at the time- that gave the band its first contract to play shows at the club. Though at first owner Bill Gazzarri didn’t like them because the band was ‘too loud’, they were hired by the managers Mark Algorri and Mario Miranda, who were impressed by their performances.
Other well-known clubs the band played at were “Walter Mitty’s Rock & Roll Emporium”, “Whisky a GoGo” and “Starwood”, which meant Van Halen’s audience grew steadily through California.
Soon after Van Halen joined “Gazzari”, they recorded their first demo tape at Cherokee Studios in 1976, after the disc jockey and talent hunter Rodney Bingenheimer saw them at “Gazzari”, and took Gene Simmons to see the band play. Simmons’ interest for Van Halen grew to the point that he helped produce their second demo-tape at two studios in Los Angeles and New York. However, after Simmons presented the tape to his band’s (Kiss) management, they rejected the band, arguing that ‘they had no chance of making it’, and so he lost his interest in Van Halen.
Even after this rejection, Van Halen’s opportunities presented themselves when in 1977 Ted Templeman and Mo Ostin saw them perform at the “Starwood” in Hollywood, and impressed by their performance, immediately offered the band a contract with Warner Bros. Records.
First Album and Rise to Fame: 1978- Present
On 8 February 8 1978 the band released their self-titled first album, recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders from September to October of 1977. Despite the rise in popularity of disco music and punk, the band’s first album reached no.19 on the Billboard chart, gathering the approval of rock music fans and the public in general, becoming one of the most influential albums of the century worldwide.
What followed was the album “1984”, landing the band its first and only number one single – “Jump” – which gained the band international fame.
In 1985, Roth left the band and was replaced by Sammy Hagar, and though the band went through several changes in its line-up, the Van Halen brothers always remained as members. Other successful records by Van Halen are: “5150” from 1986, “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, released in 1991, “Balance” in 1995, the 2004’s hits collection “The Best of Both Worlds”, and “A Different Kind of Truth” from 2012.
Music
Influences
The first song that Alex mastered on drums was “Wipe Out” by The Surfaris; he has listed his musical influences as Ginger Baker, Billy Cobham, John Bonham and Keith Moon.
Equipment
Alex Van Halen’s music equipment varies – his drums, pedals and hardware are Ludwig, while his cymbals are Paiste and his drumsticks Regaltip. Paiste also created a signature ride cymbal for him, while Regaltip did the same with his drumsticks. Alex often uses extravagant, giant drum kits.
#AlexVanHalen in action! pic.twitter.com/gMDf78TF37
— SheenaIsAPunkRocker 🎸 (@77MASH) May 8, 2016
Alex coined the term “The Brown Sound” to name the sound of his snare drum.
Personal Life
Marriages
Alex married for the first time in 1983 to Valeri Kendall after an engagement of two years. However, the marriage only lasted months, and they divorced in 1984. The same year, Alex married Kelly Carter who gave birth to his first son, Aric Van Halen, born 6 October 1989. The couple were12 years married before divorcing in 1996. Four years later Alex married Stine Schyberg who gave birth to his second child Malcolm Van Halen. The couple has remained married since then.
Health
Sammy Hagar, former Van Halen’s lead singer, wrote a book entitled “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock”, in which he said that Alex used to consume big amounts of beer during tours and recordings at the studio, which led him to cause several stunts.
This fact is confirmed by Alex himself, who in 1988 entered a brief rehab for his addiction to alcohol. Ever since he’s been sober, and it’s said that what inspired his recovery was his father’s death in 1986.
Sibling – Eddie Van Halen
Alex’s younger brother Eddie Van Halen was born on 26 January 1955 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He’s not only Van Halen’s guitarist, but he’s also a songwriter, inventor and producer. His mastery as a guitar player has gained him worldwide fame, and he was listed as the number one in the Guitar World’s poll “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. He has said Eric Clapton is his biggest musical influence.
Net Worth
Alex Van Halen has an estimated net worth of $110 Mіllіоn, which is a result of his extensive and successful career as Van Halen’s drummer.
Appearance
Alex Van Halen is a man of mixed ethnicity. He’s 6ft (1,83m) tall, but his weight is unknown, though he has a slender build. His style in Van Halen has changed with time – at the start of his career he had long hair, but nowadays he has cut his hair and has a more mature appearance. He’s often seen with black glasses.
Interesting Facts
Alex and Eddie’s mother died in 2005. They have said that despite their success in music and even after becoming millionaires, their mother would still ask them when they were going to drop-off music and pursue ‘real jobs’.
The personalities of the Van Halen brothers’ parents were very different. While they describe their mother as serious and responsible, they said that their father used to be an easygoing and relaxed person.
Eddie’s first drum kit was a St. George valued at $125, paid for by working delivering newspapers as a boy. However, while Eddie was out working, Alex would practice his drum skills on Eddie’s set.
The only time Alex has ever appeared on a musical project besides Van Halen was in 1997, when he worked in the instrumental song “Respect the Wind”, which formed part of the soundtrack of the film “Twister”, working alongside his brother; the song gained them a nomination for a Grammy Award.
During the brief time Gene Simmons was interested in producing Van Halen, he proposed to change the name of the band to “Daddy Longlegs”, but the band members rejected the idea.
Alex almost lost a finger in 1977, shortly before their signing with Warner Bros.
Alex often likes to bang a gong at the beginning of his drum solos.
General Info
| Full Name | Alex Van Halen |
| Net Worth | $75 million |
| Date Of Birth | May 8, 1953 |
| Height | 1.73 m |
| Profession | Guitarist, Keyboard Player, Actor, Percussionist, Drummer, Jump, Hot for Teacher, Eruption |
| Education | Pasadena City College |
Family
| Spouse | Stine Schyberg, Kelly Van Halen, Valeri Kendall, Jump, Hot for Teacher, Eruption |
| Children | Malcolm Van Halen, Aric Van Halen, Jump, Hot for Teacher, Eruption |
| Parents | Eugenia van Halen, Jan Van Halen, Jump, Hot for Teacher, Eruption |
| Siblings | Eddie Van Halen |
Accomplishments
| Awards | MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year, Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance, MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction, MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing, MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance, American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album, Jump, Eruption,... |
| Music Groups | Van Halen |
| Movies | Video Hits Volume I, Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now |
Social profile links
Marks
| # | Marks / Signs |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Brown Sound (referring to the unique sound of his snare drum) |
| 2 | Two kick drums |
| 3 | Ludwig drums |
| 4 | Frequently wears sunglasses |
| 5 | Likes to use the hi-hat cymbal prominently in his drum work |
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Likes to begin his drum solos by banging a gong. |
| 2 | Described his parents as different in their personalities and approaches. Said in an interview that his father, Jan Van Halen, was a happy-go-lucky, let's-have-a-drink-together type while his mother, Eugenia Van Halen, believed he and Eddie should focus on having a career where they could wear a suit and tie to work. |
| 3 | Suggested in Van Halen's early days that Eddie give up singing lead vocals and for the band to hire David Lee Roth, saying that David had a great stage presence and it would be cheaper than having to constantly rent his P.A. system for gigs. (Ironically enough, David failed an early audition to be the band's lead singer). |
| 4 | Did not like the song "Dancing in the Street" and did not want it on the 1982 "Diver Down" album. Has said in interviews that, if up to him, he would never have put the song on the album, adding that the song "Isn't Van Halen". |
| 5 | For years after the band members became multi-millionaires following the release of their first albums and subsequent tours, Alex said he and Eddie's mother, Eugenia, would still ask them when they would give up their rock-and-roll careers, go to college and get jobs. |
| 6 | Like his brother, Eddie, Alex spoke very little English upon arriving in America from The Netherlands. |
| 7 | Sammy Hagar once referred to Alex as "The craziest man I know in the rock-and-roll business.". |
| 8 | Started off playing the guitar while his brother Eddie played drums. One day, Alex decided to try out Eddie's drums and found he was much better at them than at guitar. Eddie, in turn, tried out Alex's guitar and saw he was much better at that. |
| 9 | Likes to use the biggest drum sticks available and once described the ones he uses as "miniature baseball bats". |
| 10 | Following an intervention and a trip to rehab, Alex quit drinking in the late 1980s and has since been sober. According to ex-sister-in-law Valerie Bertinelli, Alex would later encourage Eddie to become sober as well. |
| 11 | An ordained minister, he officiated at the wedding of his brother, Edward Van Halen, and Janie Liszewski on June 27, 2009. His nephew, Wolfgang Van Halen, was the best man. |
| 12 | Uncle of Wolfgang Van Halen. |
| 13 | Brother-in-law of Janie Liszewski. |
| 14 | Drummer for Van Halen. |
| 15 | When Van Halen became successful, one of the first things Alex and his brother, Edward Van Halen, did with their earnings was to tell their father he could retire and take things easy for the rest of his life. |
| 16 | Has a reputation of being a practical joker, such as nailing unattended shoes to the floor. |
| 17 | Ex-brother-in-law of Valerie Bertinelli. |
| 18 | Has 1 child with his former wife, Kelly Van Halen (nee Carter), and 1 with his current wife, Stine Schyberg. |
| 19 | Current member of the rock band Van Halen. |
| 20 | Older brother of Edward Van Halen. |
Movies
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Mind of a Chef | 2016 | TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode | |
| Strictly Come Dancing | 2016 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Sing | 2016 | writer: "Jump" | |
| Everybody Wants Some!! | 2016 | writer: "Everybody Wants Some!", "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" | |
| Ochéntame... otra vez | 2016 | TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode | |
| Eddie the Eagle | 2016 | "Jump" | |
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | 2016 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Mike & Mike | 2015 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Superkids - Die größten kleinen Talente der Welt | 2015 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Minions | 2015 | writer: "Eruption" | |
| Furious 7 | 2015 | writer: "Blast Off" | |
| Glee | 2009-2015 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| Love Film Festival | 2014 | writer: "Jump" | |
| Today at Wimbledon | 2014 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | 2014 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Dancing on Ice | 2014 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| The Voice UK | 2014 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Born to Be Wild: The Golden Age of American Rock | 2014 | TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode | |
| Masters Snooker | 2014 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues | 2013 | writer: "Dance The Night Away" | |
| South Park | 2013 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| One Hit Wonderland | 2013 | TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode | |
| Star King | 2013 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 2011-2013 | TV Series writer - 22 episodes | |
| Celebrity Splash! Australia | 2013 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The World's Greatest Tribute Bands | 2013 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Footy Show | 2013 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| This Is 40 | 2012 | writer: "Little Guitars" | |
| Argo | 2012 | writer: "Dance the Night Away" | |
| That's My Boy | 2012 | writer: "And The Cradle Will Rock", "Dance The Night Away" | |
| Late Show with David Letterman | 2011 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Green Hornet | 2011 | writer: "Feel Your Love Tonight" | |
| Wir sind Kaiser | 2010 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Total Wipeout | 2010 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Guitar Hero: Van Halen | 2009 | Video Game writer: "Ain't Talkin Bout Love", "And The Cradle Will Rock", "Atomic Punk", "Beautiful Girls", "Cathedral", "Dance The Night Away", "Eruption", "Everybody Wants Some", "Feel Your Love Tonight", "Hang Em High", "Hear About It Later", "Hot For Teacher", "I'm The One", "Jamie's Cryin", "Jump", "Little Guitars", "Loss Of Control", "Mean Street", "Panama", "Romeo Delight", "Running With The Devil", "So This Is Love", "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", "Spanish Fly", "Unchained" | |
| Electric Dreams | 2009 | TV Mini-Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Zombieland | 2009 | writer: "Everybody Wants Some" | |
| Rage | 2009 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Guitar Hero World Tour | 2008 | Video Game writer: "Hot For Teacher" | |
| Superbad | 2007 | writer: "Panama" | |
| Metal: A Headbanger's Journey | 2005 | Documentary writer: "Eruption" - as Van Halen | |
| Herbie Fully Loaded | 2005 | writer: "Jump" | |
| American Dad! | 2005 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Gran Turismo 4 | 2004 | Video Game writer: "Panama" | |
| I'm Sammy Hagar | 2004 | Short performer: "Why Can't This Be Love" / writer: "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", "Why Can't This Be Love" | |
| High Chaparall | 2004 | TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode | |
| Little Nicky | 2000 | writer: "Running With the Devil" | |
| Freaks and Geeks | 1999-2000 | TV Series writer - 4 episodes | |
| Ready to Rumble | 2000 | writer: "Runnin' With The Devil" | |
| Mission to Mars | 2000 | writer: "Dance The Night Away" | |
| Detroit Rock City | 1999 | writer: "Running With The Devil" | |
| Big Daddy | 1999 | writer: "Jump" | |
| Lost & Found | 1999/I | writer: "Runnin' with the Devil" | |
| Olympic Glory | 1999 | Documentary short writer: "Hot For Teacher" | |
| Varsity Blues | 1999 | writer: "Hot For Teacher" | |
| SLC Punk! | 1998 | writer: "Hot For Teacher" | |
| Private Parts | 1997 | writer: "Jamie's Cryin'", "Dance The Night Away" | |
| Twister | 1996 | performer: "Respect The Wind" / producer: "Respect The Wind" / writer: "Humans Being", "Respect The Wind" | |
| Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie | 1995 | writer: "Dreams" | |
| Airheads | 1994 | writer: "I'm the One" - as A. Van Halen | |
| Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now | 1993 | Video writer: "Poundcake", "Judgement Day", "Man on a Mission", "When It's Love", "In 'N' Out", "Right Now", "Pleasure Dome", "Spanked", "Runaround", "Finish What Ya Started", "Cabo Wabo", "The Dream Is Over", "Jump", "Top of the World" | |
| MTV Video Music Awards 1991 | 1991 | TV Special writer: "Poundcake" | |
| Van Halen Live Without a Net | 1986 | Video performer: "There's Only One Way To Rock", "Summer Nights", "Get Up", "5150", "Drum Solo", "Best Of Both Worlds", "Panama", "Love Walks In", "I Can't Drive 55", "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "Why Can't This Be Love", "Rock and Roll" | |
| Better Off Dead... | 1985 | writer: "Everybody Wants Some!!" | |
| WKRP in Cincinnati | 1978 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
Composer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Halen: Humans Being | 1996 | Short co-composer | |
| Van Halen Live Without a Net | 1986 | Video | |
| Van Halen: Hot for Teacher | 1984 | Video short |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoboCop | 1987 | Keva Rosenberg (uncredited) | |
| Van Halen: Hot for Teacher | 1984 | Video short | Alex Van Halen |
Music Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 1990 | TV Series composer: theme music - 1990 |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guitar Hero: Van Halen | 2009 | Video Game | Himself (voice) |
| The Van Halen Story: The Early Years | 2003 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Howard Stern | 1998 | TV Series | Himself |
| Van Halen: Video Hits Vol. 1 | 1996 | Video | Himself |
| Van Halen: Humans Being | 1996 | Short | Himself |
| Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now | 1993 | Video | Himself |
| MTV Video Music Awards 1992 | 1992 | TV Special | Himself - Van Halen Drummer |
| Van Halen Live Without a Net | 1986 | Video | Himself |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
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