Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Wolfgang Van Halen, Mr. Precocious


He's 16 and the son of rock legend guitarist Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli, and, believe it or not, he currently serves as bass guitarist for, arguably, the American rock band of the 70s and 80s.

Of course, I’m talking about Wolfgang Van Halen of—who else?—Van Halen.

I’ve never been a Van Halen fan per se, and I was very surprised to hear that that Wolfie was replacing longtime VH fixture Michael Anthony on bass. Not because the potential’s not there (his father Eddie, Uncle Alex and father have all been professional musicians), but at 16…I kept wondering if maybe he was too young. Especially with what’s on the road.

Then came an interview that Eddie and Alex talking about how much of a natural Wolfie is. “This kid can play,” Alex told one interviewer. So far, the reviews have been favorable. Based on what I saw in a People magazine story, Wolfie seems acutely and precociously aware of his father’s infamous struggles with alcohol.

And, of course, perhaps the most important thing for Wolfie—his job as bassist apparently has the blessing of one of the most important people of all—his mom.

Best of luck, Wolfie.

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