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Wolfgang Van Halen

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In this Dutch name, the surname is Van Halen, not Halen.
Wolfgang Van Halen
Van Halen in 2023
Born
Wolfgang William Van Halen

(1991-03-16) March 16, 1991 (age 33)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other names
  • Wolfie
  • Wolf
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Years active2004–present
Spouse
Andraia Allsop
​
(m. 2023)​
Parents
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
  • vocals
  • drums
Member ofMammoth WVH
Formerly of
Websitemammothwvh.com
Notes

Wolfgang William Van Halen (/væn ˈheɪlən/ van HAY-lən, Dutch: [ˈʋɔl(ə)fxɑŋ ˈʋɪlijɑɱ vɑn ˈɦaːlə(n)], born March 16, 1991) is an American musician. The son of actress Valerie Bertinelli and guitarist Eddie Van Halen, he performed alongside his father and his uncle as the bassist for Van Halen from 2007 to 2020. He also performed with the heavy metal band Tremonti from 2012 to 2016. After his father's death in 2020 led to the disbandment of Van Halen, he began to focus on his solo project Mammoth WVH, in which he performs all instruments and vocals. His debut album Mammoth WVH was released in 2021, and his second album Mammoth II was released in 2023.

Early life

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Wolfgang started his musical career as a drummer. He often watched his father rehearse, and at times would try to play his uncle Alex's drum kit, whereupon the latter would give him a few lessons. Wolfgang started playing drums at the age of nine, being mostly self-taught with only few lessons from his uncle, and got his first drum set from his father as a present for his tenth birthday. Some time later he moved on to guitar and bass. He can also play keyboards and "figure things out by ear".[2] Wolfgang later began actively participating in Van Halen, the band. He also made guest appearances during some dates of Van Halen's 2004 tour, appearing during his father's extended guitar solo spot and playing with him the instrumental "316"[citation needed] (from the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge), which refers to his birthday.

For a 13-year period ending in 2004, Eddie Van Halen collaborated with Peavey on a line of guitars, the Wolfgang series, named after his son.[3] In 2008, his father named a custom guitar after him, the EVH Wolfgang.[4][5]

Career

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Van Halen

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In late 2006, in an interview with Guitar World, Eddie Van Halen confirmed that his son would replace Michael Anthony as Van Halen's bassist.[6] Wolfgang first toured with Van Halen in his new capacity in 2007.[7] In August 2010, Van Halen announced that they would record a new album, with Wolfgang playing bass.[citation needed]

In early 2008, Van Halen appeared on the cover of the April issue of Guitar World with his father, in the magazine's first father-son issue.[citation needed]

He recorded his only studio album with Van Halen, A Different Kind of Truth, in 2011. The album was released on February 7, 2012.[8]

Tremonti

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Van Halen performing in 2012

On September 10, 2012, Alter Bridge and Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti announced that Van Halen would be filling in for Brian Marshall as bassist for the first tour of Tremonti's eponymous band.[9] Tremonti's first album, All I Was, was released on July 17 of that year. Wolfgang became an official member of Tremonti in 2013, replacing previous bassist Brian Marshall.[10] He appears on the band's 2015 studio album Cauterize and its 2016 follow-up Dust.

Clint Lowery

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Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery revealed in a June 2019 tweet on Twitter that Van Halen would play on his solo debut. "[Wolfgang] will be playing drums, maybe some bass," he says. "I'll do the rest. Just not good enough on the kit myself to pull it off in [the] studio."[11]

Mammoth WVH

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In 2021, Van Halen released his debut album Mammoth WVH under the same name. The LP showcased his talents as a songwriter and musician with Van Halen writing every song and playing every instrument on the studio album.[12] After the album's release, Mammoth WVH began touring, with Frank Sidoris, Jon Jourdan, Ronnie Ficarro, and Garrett Whitlock rounding out the touring lineup.[13]

In 2023, Van Halen was one of the guitarists in "I'm Just Ken", recorded for the Barbie soundtrack.[14] He would later appear in the song's live performance during the 96th Academy Awards.[15]

Awards and recognition

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Van Halen was nominated for a 2022 Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock Song for his song "Distance", from his album Mammoth WVH.[16] He wrote the song when his father was dealing with complications from cancer. "[Eddie] cried when he first heard it. It was a really special moment that I'll never forget."[17] Both "Distance" and his second single, "Don't Back Down", debuted at #1 on the Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart. The band is the first act to send its first two songs to No. 1 on the chart since The Glorious Sons in 2019.[18]

Musical style

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Van Halen started playing the bass as his father started asking if he wanted to play with him. Van Halen first viewed bass as "an easier version of guitar, but as soon as I started playing it I realized how wrong that was", but stated that his experience with a guitar made it easier for him to deal with the instrument. His style was described by Eddie as a "rhythm bassist, like I'm a rhythm guitarist and a bassist put together." When he began playing bass, his inspirations were Les Claypool of Primus and Justin Chancellor of Tool. He also enjoys Chris Wolstenholme of Muse, John Entwistle of The Who, Jack Bruce of Cream "and all of the classic players".[2]

Wolfgang's musical style mainly consists of the hard rock, alternative rock, and heavy metal genres. However, he has also released a few pop songs under the Mammoth WVH name, namely "Think It Over" and "Distance".[19]

Personal life

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Named in homage to the classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, he is the only child of Dutch-American guitarist Eddie Van Halen and American actress Valerie Bertinelli. He is also the nephew of drummer Alex Van Halen. Wolfgang has said that he did not know his father was a famous musician until he "started picking up CDs and saw his father's picture on them".[2]

Following the completion of the 2007–2008 Van Halen tour, Wolfgang returned to school. Planning to graduate by the summer of 2009, he would graduate in 2010. Wolfgang Van Halen appears as the bassist for Van Halen in Guitar Hero: Van Halen, even replacing Michael Anthony in the band's past incarnation.[20] Wolfgang remained in Van Halen until 2020 when the band disbanded following his father's death.[21]

Wolfgang Van Halen announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Andraia Allsop on July 6, 2022.[22] The two married on October 15, 2023.[23]

Discography

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with Van Halen

with Tremonti

with Mammoth WVH

as a featured musician

References

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  1. ^ "Van Halen names son Wolfgang". Rome News-Tribune. Associated Press. March 18, 1990.
  2. ^ a b c "Interview: Wolfgang Van Halen Talks Bass, 'A Different Kind Of Truth' and More". Guitar World. July 30, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  3. ^ "Peavey Parts With Edward Van Halen". Mix. December 29, 2004.
  4. ^ "Eddie Van Halen launches the all-new EVH Wolfgang Guitar". International Business Times. December 16, 2008.
  5. ^ della Cava, Marco R. (January 9, 2009). "This hand-crafted guitar is Eddie Van Halen's baby". USA Today.
  6. ^ Bradley, Simon (December 12, 2006). "Van Halen: Anthony Out, Wolfgang In…". Music Radar.
  7. ^ Rodriguez, Brenda (August 13, 2007). "Valerie Bertinelli a 'Proud Momma' at Van Halen Reunion". People. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
  8. ^ "Van Halen Announce Album Release, Tour Dates". rollingstone.com. January 6, 2012.
  9. ^ Whitaker, Sterling (September 12, 2012). "Wolfgang Van Halen Joins Mark Tremonti as Touring Bassist". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  10. ^ Graff, Gary (March 6, 2013). "Wolfgang Van Halen Joins Tremonti, Says Van Halen Working on New Music". Billboard.
  11. ^ Trapp, Philip (June 10, 2019). "Wolfgang Van Halen to Perform on Sevendust Guitarist's Solo Album". Loudwire. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "Wolfgang van Halen Drops New Mammoth WVH Track 'Mammoth'". Rolling Stone. May 21, 2021.
  13. ^ Childers, Chad (November 24, 2020). "Wolfgang Van Halen Announces First Mammoth WVH Concert". Loudwire. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  14. ^ Wang, Jessica (July 19, 2023). "Wolfgang Van Halen and Josh Freese also bring Kenergy to Barbie Land". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  15. ^ Sperling, Nicole (March 12, 2024). "How 'I'm Just Ken' Won the Oscars Without Winning an Actual Oscar". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "A Chip off the Old Rock: Wolfgang van Halen's Grammy Nomination Pays Tribute to His Late Father, Eddie". December 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "A Chip off the Old Rock: Wolfgang van Halen's Grammy Nomination Pays Tribute to His Late Father, Eddie". December 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "Mammoth WVH Scores Second Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 with 'Don't Back Down'". Billboard.
  19. ^ Wilkening, Matthew; Rolli, Bryan (March 26, 2021). "Mammoth WVH's 'Think It Over' Shows Off Wolfgang's Pop Smarts". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  20. ^ Eddie Van Halen considering New Tunes with David Lee Roth, 2009-02-02, www.spinner.com.
  21. ^ Hiatt, Brian (November 16, 2020). "Van Halen Considered Reunion Tour With Both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  22. ^ Childers, Chad (July 6, 2022). "Wolfgang Van Halen Gets Engaged to Longtime Girlfriend Andraia Allsop". Loudwire. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  23. ^ "Wolfgang Van Halen Marries Andraia Allsop in Intimate Wedding at Their LA Home – All the Exclusive Details!". Peoplemag. Retrieved October 16, 2023.


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