For Eddie Van Halen, music runs through his very veins. Singer-songwriter and producer, Van Halen is recognized for his talents as a guitarist. In fact, he is considered one of the best guitarists of his generation. Eddie has recorded huge success with his band Van Halen which also includes his brother, Alex Van Halen.
Although their business has declined in recent years, the group has left a legacy that will live on for generations to come. Here’s what you always wanted to know about Van Halen’s backbone, Eddie Van Halen.
Eddie Van Halen Biography
When we said the music ran through Eddie Van’s veins through Halen, we weren’t ruling out the words. The guitarist, who is actually a multi-instrumentalist, had his artistic genes passed on to him from his father, Jan Van Halen, who played various instruments, including saxophone, piano and clarinet.
Eddie was born Edward Lodewijk Van Halen on January 26, 1955 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His mother is Eugenia Van Halen (née van Beers).
Van Halen’s father had named him after the German composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven. Along with his older brother Alex Arthur Van Halen, Eddie started playing the piano when they were just kids. In 1962, Eddie’s family emigrated to the United States where they settled in Northern California. In California, the brothers continued to perfect their craft. They soon started playing drums and guitar. Eddie then chose a particular interest in the electric guitar.
The brothers formed their first band, The Broken Combs when they were in elementary school. Eddie decided to become a professional musician after his first performance with the band.
In 1972, when the brothers were in their teens, they formed what would become Van Halen, originally called Genesis. The name was changed to “Mammoth” and later Van Halen after David Lee Roth suggested the Dutch-American brothers’ name sounded good.
The band played for a few years without too muchIn 1976, Rodney Bingenheimer, a supporter of the band, invited Gene Simmons of KISS to a Van Halen show. Simmons was immediately impressed and offered to fund the band’s demo.
A year later, the band caught the attention of record producer Ted Templeman who was able to convince Warner Bros. Records to sign them to a recording contract. Van Halen released their debut album in February 1978 and quickly became a force to be reckoned with.
Net value
Eddie Van Halen’s main source of wealth was undoubtedly the success of his band, Van Halen. Over the years, the band has seen many faces as lead singers, but the Halen brothers have remained loyal to their band.
Eddie quickly became known for his very energetic performance which had him jumping high in the air while playing guitar. The band has sold over 80 million records worldwide, including two with 10 albums each. Thanks to their eclectic performances, the band had great success on the road, recording some of the highest-grossing tours by a rock band. Eddie’s net worth is $100 million.
His wife – Janie Liszewski
Eddie Van Halen has been married twice and his current wife is Janie Liszewski whom he married in 2009. Liszewski became his publicist in 2007 and on October 6, 2008, Van Halen proposed to her. Their wedding took place on June 27, 2009 at Van Halen’s estate in Studio City.
Van Halen’s ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, who divorced in 2007 attended the wedding. Their son, Wolfgang Van Halen, served as Eddie’s best man, while Eddie’s brother Alex Van Halen presided over the ceremony.
Eddie’s wife, Janie Liszewski, is an actress and stuntwoman. Originally from Pennsylvania, she was born in 1970. She is 15 years younger than Eddie Van Halen. She made her acting debut in Warrior Princess in 1986 and would go on to act in films such as From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), The Third Company (1992), as well as TV shows such as Profiler in 1998 and CSI: Miami in 2003.
Eddie’s wife has created stunts used in films such as Spider-Man 2, Imposter, The Wedding Planner, and more. She was more successful in stunting than in acting. Liszewski appeared in Enrique Iglesias’ video for his song “Be With You.”
Other facts to know
1. Eddie Van Halen, just like his own father, named his son after a composer – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His son is now the band’s bassist and the youngest member of the band.
2. Despite being an incredibly talented instrumentalist, Eddie never learned to read music.
3. He has at least three patents to his name including: US 4656917, US 7183475 and D388117.
4. Eddie is credited with popularizing the two-tapping guitar technique.
5. Eddie Van Halen had to deal with alcoholism at different times in his life. His father and grandfather were alcoholics.