This is a bit of a re-hash. Lock the thread if it's a dupe.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/nationa...len041027.html
Is Van Halen breaking up again?
Last Updated Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:54:24 EDT
TORONTO - There are rumours floating around the internet that rock group Van Halen may be on the verge of splitting up again.
The three founding members of the group – guitarist Eddie Van Halen, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen – reunited this spring with Sammy Hagar, the band's on-again, off-again lead singer, to tour in support of a new greatest-hits compilation, The Best of Both Worlds.
Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen perform in Phoenix, Ariz., on Aug. 5. But a report posted Monday on the Melodic Rock website, which has been picked up by other sites, suggests that the foursome is once again about to disintegrate.
The site reports that breakup rumours "flared again last week after Hagar appeared on U.S. radio station KSHE, stating in an interview that he thought the Van Halen reunion was fun, but it brought closure to that chapter."
Hagar also reportedly went on to complain about the high ticket prices for the tour and how some members of the band were not into fan interaction.
The site also says that it "was implied that once the current dates were completed, Hagar would return to touring [as a solo act] and the future of Van Halen would again be up in the air."
The band, known for hits like Jump and Running with the Devil, is currently on a swing through Western Canada. They played Edmonton on Monday and Calgary on Tuesday.
They have dates scheduled for Saskatoon on Thursday and Winnipeg on Saturday. A Montreal date is also slated for Nov. 9.
The Edmonton Sun reported that, despite some onstage jostling, the Edmonton show was "one big celebration of brotherly love."
Before this year, Hagar – who has had solo success with hits like I Can't Drive 55 – had been absent from the group since 1996.
As fans of hard-rock soap operas know, the group first rose to prominence in the 1970s when it was fronted by the flamboyant David Lee Roth. Roth parted ways with Van Halen in 1985, and was replaced by Hagar.
When Hagar left, he was replaced briefly by Gary Cherone, the former lead singer of Extreme. Cherone's tenure was the shortest of all, lasting only for a single album.
Roth then rejoined the group to record the band's first greatest-hits album in 1996, but the reconciliation was not permanent.
Written by CBC News Online staff
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The fat lady ( or is that Spammy?) is warming up, y'all! She's about to sing a swan song for Van Hagar.
