Wolfgang Van Halen has commented on the potential impact his father’s legacy might have on the public’s reaction to his forthcoming debut solo album.
The Van Halen bassist recently shared his social media response to an inquiry from a fan about how much he sees Eddie Van Halen’s reputation as a blessing or a curse.
"That's a great question,” Wolfgang replied. “It's really equally both. Being who I am, I think people at the least will be interested in what my work will sound like, which is very nice. But on the other hand, if it's not exactly what they want to hear or if I don't try to sound 'Van Halen-y' enough for them they'll hate me and won't give me the time of day.
“I'm fully prepared for a wave of hate when my music releases because it won't be what people think it'll be. I'm not trying to be my father, I'm trying to be me."
By the time Wolfgang was born in 1991, Eddie’s status as a guitarist, musical innovator and performer was already long etched into the history books.
The young Van Halen would eventually join his father’s band in 2007 at the age of 16 after the ousting of longtime member Michael Anthony over his friendship with former bandmate Sammy Hagar, both of whose time in the group ended after the completion of an ill-fated 2004 reunion tour with the singer.
Wolfgang would go on to perform on multiple tours with a Van Halen-fronted David Lee Roth while appearing on the band’s 2012 studio record, “A Different Kind Of Truth”, and a 2015 live release.
The rocker has reportedly been working on his debut studio set since 2015, with producer Michael Baskette announcing the album’s completion in July of 2018.
While the Van Halen prodigy signed a deal with Explorer1 Music Group for the album earlier this year, no official timetable for the set’s release has been revealed to date.
See also:
David Lee Roth unsure if Eddie Van Halen will ever tour again
Van Halen: Wolfgang Van Halen streams solo album preview
Sammy Hagar predicts Van Halen comeback
Sammy Hagar performs Van Halen classic in new Lockdown Sessions video
Search Van Halen at hennemusic
