Eddie Van Halen Discusses His Cancer

**Fabulous Shadow aka VHL** · 02.27.03, 04:58 PM

Have you guys seen this before? I never saw it or even heard about it... Kind of explains why Eddie doesn't make alot of announcements...And what happened with Roth the second time around...or was it the third???

I Believe That God Doesn't Lay This on You Unless You Are Supposed To Learn Something"

In a Maximum Golf exclusive, rock and roll legend Eddie Van Halen discusses his cancer for the first time. In "I8 with Eddie Van Halen" by Ron Del Barrio and Andy Meisler, Van Halen discusses his greatest personal battle - to fight Cancer. The following are excerpts of the story

On dealing with his cancer: "I know I'm kicking its ass out. The way I look at it is like this, I've run too many red lights and gotten away with it for a long time, but it kinda caught up with me. I believe that God doesn't lay this on you unless you're supposed to learn something. And boy, I've learned more in the last year and a half than I ever thought I'd learn in a lifetime. Sometimes when things are in front of your face, you don't see them. It seems simple, but all that really matters to me is my son and my wife. Everything and everybody else can pretty much kiss my ass. Even making music - which is pretty much my life - takes a back seat to my family and my health.

On the media attention to his cancer: "I really don't understand it. I mean, everybody I know has been getting calls asking what's going on with me. Guys pull up beside me at red lights - as if I'm gonna give them an interview at a stoplight.

"I don't know why people want to know what only my wife and son and maybe my best friends have a right to know. I say to everyone else, 'Look I'm doing great."

"But that is not enough to satisfy the jackals. They say, 'Everyone wants to know everything right now because you are a famous rock star! That's crap! I'm not a rock star! I'm a musician, a kid from Holland who knows what it looks like from both sides of the tracks."

On sins of the past (i.e. Red Lights): "I used to get wasted because I didn't know how to act. I was, and still am, very uncomfortable being a so-called 'rock star.' I would get so hammered that I would make a complete fool out of myself. Was like 'Okay, I'm a rock star. Now what is that?' I sure as hell didn't know - regardless of whether I was drunk or straight. So I figured I might as well go straight, because drunk, I was a complete idiot; straight, at least I have the chance of being just half an idiot. Funny thing is, after all these years, I still don't have a clue what a 'rock star' is."

On (Van Halen) reuniting with David Lee Roth: "The last time I spoke to or saw Dave was back in September of last year. I played him a few tunes we bulls---ed a bit, had some laughs, and everything seemed cool. He was even kind enough to turn me on to his uncle, Jack Roth, a cancer surgeon and research specialist at -coincidentally- M.D. Anderson in Houston where I had been going once a week for treatment.

"Everything looked pretty positive about getting together. But before you know it, attorneys are involved. These cats had me so beat down and confused, it made cancer seem like a tiny zit on my ass. Everything seemed to fall apart after these guys got involved. I mean, we used to do it on a handshake. At this point, I have no idea what's going on."

**I Coulda Hada VH** · 02.27.03, 05:14 PM

Fab,

That's old news. I think that article came out back in the Summer of 2001.

I would still like to know whose lawyers got involved and screwed up our chance at a VH/DLR reunion. Anybody know the answer to that one?

**Fabulous Shadow aka VHL** · 02.27.03, 05:19 PM

I know it's old, I just never read it before...

**I Coulda Hada VH** · 02.27.03, 05:25 PM

I remember reading it when it came out. Someone posted the whole article. It may have even been on this site.

Here we are, a year and a half later, and we are seemingly nowhere closer to new Van Halen music. The saga of silence continues . . .

**el_jalepeno** · 02.27.03, 11:36 PM

Originally posted by Fabulous Shadow aka VHL:
I know it's old, I just never read it before...

I haven't read it before, so I appreciate it [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

**OLO** · 02.28.03, 12:22 AM

I had never read that before thanks for posting it Fab. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

**Jedi Master** · 02.28.03, 12:34 AM

Thanks...nice post!

**Glenn** · 02.28.03, 12:39 AM

The whole thing is here in our Interviews section
Golf Eddie

It's several pages long!!!

**Zahzoo** · 02.28.03, 07:06 AM

Interesting... all of you that hadn't read it. I probably read it 10 times and I'm sure there's a 10 page thread in the archives here with the bitch fest that followed cause we got all the official news we were whinning about from a fucking Golf magazine...

The more things change... the more they stay the same... [img]graemlins/brickwall.gif[/img]

Fab does point out a very good point for all that wonder about why Ed has been quiet... if you read his quotes and pay attention... you will understand the silence!!!!!!! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

Read and take heed...

On the media attention to his cancer: "I really don't understand it. I mean, everybody I know has been getting calls asking what's going on with me. Guys pull up beside me at red lights - as if I'm gonna give them an interview at a stoplight.

"I don't know why people want to know what only my wife and son and maybe my best friends have a right to know. I say to everyone else, 'Look I'm doing great."

"But that is not enough to satisfy the jackals. They say, 'Everyone wants to know everything right now because you are a famous rock star! That's crap! I'm not a rock star! I'm a musician, a kid from Holland who knows what it looks like from both sides of the tracks."

**Red-Diamond** · 02.28.03, 07:40 AM

Those $%#@ing &^%*&^$ lawyers. Van Halen would be together if it wasn't for them. [img]graemlins/irked.gif[/img]

**THE MARD** · 02.28.03, 07:47 AM

On the media attention to his cancer: "I really don't understand it. I mean, everybody I know has been getting calls asking what's going on with me. Guys pull up beside me at red lights - as if I'm gonna give them an interview at a stoplight.

"I don't know why people want to know what only my wife and son and maybe my best friends have a right to know. I say to everyone else, 'Look I'm doing great."

Because we care, Ed. You mean a lot to us. When an artist achieves the level of success that Ed has, we feel we know you personally thru your music. It's your art that reminds us of our past. Because it becomes apart of us, and when you're ill, we worry because it would be hard to imagine a world without Edward Van Halen.

"But that is not enough to satisfy the jackals. They say, 'Everyone wants to know everything right now because you are a famous rock star! That's crap! I'm not a rock star! I'm a musician, a kid from Holland who knows what it looks like from both sides of the tracks."

So you should understand that there are idoits in the world who doesn't have any manners.

On (Van Halen) reuniting with David Lee Roth: "The last time I spoke to or saw Dave was back in September of last year. I played him a few tunes we bulls---ed a bit, had some laughs, and everything seemed cool. He was even kind enough to turn me on to his uncle, Jack Roth, a cancer surgeon and research specialist at -coincidentally- M.D. Anderson in Houston where I had been going once a week for treatment.

"Everything looked pretty positive about getting together. But before you know it, attorneys are involved. These cats had me so beat down and confused, it made cancer seem like a tiny zit on my ass. Everything seemed to fall apart after these guys got involved. I mean, we used to do it on a handshake. At this point, I have no idea what's going on."

I know exactly what happened. Roth got over eager, just like last time, and started making plans. He starting booking record deals, touring deals, etc. He got ahold of his lawyers to draw up the papers that gave him equal footing as Ed that VH would be just as much his band as Ed. That Ed could no longer kick him out again. That's when things came to a screeching halt. Ed instead offered him a salary (albeit a a large one) as a hired hand. That's what Ed meant when he said "Dave knows my number. It's up to him".

**man of the people** · 02.28.03, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by THE MARD:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />

On the media attention to his cancer: "I really don't understand it. I mean, everybody I know has been getting calls asking what's going on with me. Guys pull up beside me at red lights - as if I'm gonna give them an interview at a stoplight.

"I don't know why people want to know what only my wife and son and maybe my best friends have a right to know. I say to everyone else, 'Look I'm doing great."

Because we care, Ed. You mean a lot to us. When an artist achieves the level of success that Ed has, we feel we know you personally thru your music. It's your art that reminds us of our past. Because it becomes apart of us, and when you're ill, we worry because it would be hard to imagine a world without Edward Van Halen.

"But that is not enough to satisfy the jackals. They say, 'Everyone wants to know everything right now because you are a famous rock star! That's crap! I'm not a rock star! I'm a musician, a kid from Holland who knows what it looks like from both sides of the tracks."

So you should understand that there are idoits in the world who doesn't have any manners.

On (Van Halen) reuniting with David Lee Roth: "The last time I spoke to or saw Dave was back in September of last year. I played him a few tunes we bulls---ed a bit, had some laughs, and everything seemed cool. He was even kind enough to turn me on to his uncle, Jack Roth, a cancer surgeon and research specialist at -coincidentally- M.D. Anderson in Houston where I had been going once a week for treatment.

"Everything looked pretty positive about getting together. But before you know it, attorneys are involved. These cats had me so beat down and confused, it made cancer seem like a tiny zit on my ass. Everything seemed to fall apart after these guys got involved. I mean, we used to do it on a handshake. At this point, I have no idea what's going on."

I know exactly what happened. Roth got over eager, just like last time, and started making plans. He starting booking record deals, touring deals, etc. He got ahold of his lawyers to draw up the papers that gave him equal footing as Ed that VH would be just as much his band as Ed. That Ed could no longer kick him out again. That's when things came to a screeching halt. Ed instead offered him a salary (albeit a a large one) as a hired hand. That's what Ed meant when he said "Dave knows my number. It's up to him". </font>[/QUOTE]Dave's insane. Why would he choose to play casinos for less money instead of making millions as a hired hand in Van Halen?

**THE MARD** · 02.28.03, 08:57 AM

[quote]Originally posted by man of the people:

Dave's insane. Why would he choose to play casinos for less money instead of making millions as a hired hand in Van Halen?

I think in a word PRIDE. Plus, I think Dave felt he was holding all the cards. That the only way for VH to come back was with him. Ed had no choice but to give him what he wanted. And because he had gotten scorned the last time, he was going to get everything in writing this time. Remember his open letter to the press where he says "I should have had something in writing".

**BrandoKool** · 02.28.03, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by Fabulous Shadow aka VHL:
I know it's old, I just never read it before...

Me either.

**Glenn** · 02.28.03, 10:19 AM

only my wife and son and maybe my best friends have a right to know

I know I promised I'd get back to you and I'm sorry for the delay but I wanted to let you all know that I've just gotten a 100% clean bill of health - from head to toe. I wanted to share the good news with you immediately.

Given that I'm not Eddie's wife or his son, I'm obviously one of his best friends!! Pretty cool, huh?!!

[img]smile.gif[/img]