Metropoulos Forum

Eddie Van Halen and the late, great, Randy Rhoads were two of the youngest, hottest guitarists of the ’70s. Both happened to live in southern California, and their paths crossed from time to time. Here’s some Eddie Van Halen tidbits from Randy Rhoads biographer, Andrew Klein:

•The very first time Randy Rhoads saw Van Halen [in '76 or '77], he took his girlfriend Jan with him. Jan told us that Randy was ‘devastated’ after the show. Here he was, the king of Burbank. Everyone was always telling him how great he was. Then he saw Eddie and it opened his eyes and he got a major reality check. It was healthy for him. He was inspired. He thought Eddie was great. He wanted to be great also. I know they met at least four times.

•Quiet Riot and Van Halen played on the same bill at Glendale College in April 1977. Quiet Riot opened, Van Halen was the headliner. Randy once approached Eddie and asked him how he was able to keep his guitar in tune without a locking nut for his tremolo. Eddie refused to tell him and said it was his own secret. Randy couldn’t comprehend because he was a teacher at his core. He loved to help others and he was always willing to share anything he knew. He would teach anyone anything they wanted to learn. So, he was quite disappointed in Eddie’s treatment of him.

•Randy and his good friend Lori Hollen were in the parking lot behind the Whisky loading his gear into this car. Eddie and Dave (DLR) pulled up alongside of them in a white Mercedes diesel and began harassing him. Lori quickly put a stop to it and actually slapped Dave across his face.

•Quiet Riot’s drummer, Drew Forsyth, has said that the Eddie/Randy rivalry has been made up to be so much more than it was. He also said that Eddie used to come watch Randy play way more than Randy used to go see Eddie play. They were both great, and I’m sure there was an immense amount of mutual respect.

•Randy told journalist John Stix that he does a lot of Eddie’s licks live, and it kills him that he does that. But he added that it’s just flash, and that’s what the kids want to see. That’s what impresses them. He also said that it kills him because he believes in the importance of finding your own voice and style. He thought the worst thing a guitar player could do was copy someone else.

•When Randy was home on break from the Ozzy tour, he decided to drive to his local music store to buy some classical albums. Randy said that when he walked into the record store, Eddie Van Halen was standing on line at the register purchasing the Diary of a Madman album. Imagine that scene. Can you imagine walking into a record store on any given day and seeing both Eddie and Randy in there at the same time?

Tone Slinger wrote:Great posts Chrisom and Lou . I'll go with the odds and say that the truth, concerning Ed & Randy's relationship, was somewhere in the middle of all that. There's a recent Chris Holmes (Wasp, Pasadena raised) interview on youtube and he described all out animosity concerning those two bands,complete warfare. The guitar players are always put in the middle,with being introverted yet having to take the sides of thier outgoing band members.

Ritchie Blackmore has come clean about alot of his 'attitudes', concerning the behaviors of his past. He has said that he was "insecure" and was worried about other guitarists being "Better" than himself.

chrisom wrote:From the VHND...

Randy once approached Eddie and asked him how he was able to keep his guitar in tune without a locking nut for his tremolo. Eddie refused to tell him and said it was his own secret. Randy couldn’t comprehend because he was a teacher at his core. He loved to help others and he was always willing to share anything he knew. He would teach anyone anything they wanted to learn. So, he was quite disappointed in Eddie’s treatment of him.

NY Chief wrote:

chrisom wrote:From the VHND...

Randy once approached Eddie and asked him how he was able to keep his guitar in tune without a locking nut for his tremolo. Eddie refused to tell him and said it was his own secret. Randy couldn’t comprehend because he was a teacher at his core. He loved to help others and he was always willing to share anything he knew. He would teach anyone anything they wanted to learn. So, he was quite disappointed in Eddie’s treatment of him.

And that's why I can't get on the EVH bandwagon in total. I have heard similar stories and have been treated the same by guys I once respected whether a big name or local cock head. As opposed to when I met Brian May who was more interested in MY gear and influences etc or Les Paul after every gig. "I'll meet you by the door a little later to chat" or Jeff Beck when we talked about hot rods. Ritchie was civil to me but I met him later in his career and my friend Greg was playing bass in Rainbow at the time so I guess he didn't see as a just a giggly fanboy (which I was!) These people are idolized, they don't have to be scumbags.

Lefty Lou wrote:I met Ritchie when I was working at Dillard's in the 80's. He was using Molly Hatchet's tour bus for a concert in Norman Okla. He came in the store with his road manager "coked to the gills" with bloodshot eyes. I asked a stupid question like, have you ever played with any left handed guitarists, and he looked at his manager and replied, "there was that black bloke". I'm thinking to myself, "you aren't even a hair on Jimi Hendrix's backside" as a guitarist when compared to Jimi, and I do like Ritchie as a guitarist but he's a cocky fucker or a fucky cocker. LOL