David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth Isn’t Thrilled by Latest COVID Outbreak
One of the latest casualties of the omicron variant of COVID outbreak has been that David Lee Roth canceled his retirement shows in Las Vegas. In September, the gregarious singer proclaimed that he was hanging up his dancing shoes and these shows at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay would be it for him. We know how that turned out. Now, when we first heard that Diamond Dave was canceling the shows, we figured we’d ask his reps if that was true and if Roth had anything to say about it. Well, we have that answer. In an email to SPIN, Roth told us the following (in a way that only he can): Covid Comix The doctor says he’s comin’, But you gotta pay him cash! Roth ways in; “Doc, it’s only a scratch..” Did you get that? If not, here’s an art rendering that Roth cooked up for us well. (Credit: Court...
David Lee Roth Cancels Retirement Las Vegas Residency
Last October, David Lee Roth announced “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring.” The Van Halen frontman had scheduled his final five live shows at House of Blues in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay that would have taken place early this year. The frontman had previously canceled his New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day shows, and announced on December 30 that the shows would be rescheduled for Feb 11-12. They attributed it to the “unforeseen circumstances related to COVID and out of an abundance of caution for those working and attending the shows.” Now, Roth has canceled the entire residency due to the rapid spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. Thus (at least as of now) ending his 50-year performing career earlier than expected. Roth initially revealed the news of his retirement in an interview ...
David Lee Roth Almost Predicted the Exact Date of His Retirement in 1991 ‘A Lil Ain’t Enough’ Video
David Lee Roth predicted in his 1991 “A Lil Ain’t Enough” video that his absolute final show would be on October 10, 2021. If he had waited just a little bit longer, Roth could have been deemed a psychic. Roth actually announced his retirement last week, a little too early before he said he would 30 years ago. Due to pressing health issues, Diamond Dave announced his upcoming five-date Las Vegas residency would be his final shows. They kick off on New Year’s Eve at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. Interestingly enough, Roth says that Alex Vn Halen will be joining him on drums for the residency. “I am throwing in the shoes,” Roth told Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m retiring.” And he even mentioned he thought he would be the first to go off the Van Halen lineup. “I thought I might have be...
David Lee Roth Announces Retirement: ‘I Am Throwing in the Shoes’
David Lee Roth is retiring. The lauded showman revealed the news during a conversation with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the outlet described as “more a spoken-word performance than interview.” “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring,” he said. “This is the first, and only, official announcement. … You’ve got the news. Share it with the world.” Roth is ending his 50-year career with five shows at House of Blues in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay on Dec. 31, Jan. 1, Jan. 5 and Jan. 7-8. “I’m not going to explain the statement,” he added. “The explanation is in a safe. These are my last five shows.” Elsewhere in the interview, the singer said he’s been thinking about “the departure of my beloved classmate recently,” referring to the death of his Van Halen bandmate Eddie Van Halen, ...
It’s Only Roth ‘N’ Roll: Our 1986 David Lee Roth Cover Story
A version of this story was published in the April 1986 issue of SPIN. In honor of the 35th anniversary of Eat ‘Em and Smile, we’re republishing this article here. In another life, David Lee Roth was Attila the Hun. He led a bunch of barbarians—who looked curiously like Van Halen—around the world, sacking and pillaging as they went. In yet another life, David Lee Roth was Jesse James. His heroes include Muhammad Ali and Ray Kroc. He got his first radio from his uncle Dave when he was 8, and from that time on, he knew what he wanted to do. He would lay in bed, the radio across the room, a stick taped to the dial so he wouldn’t have to get out of bed to change stations. He met the other members of Van Halen about 10 years later. Their debut album went gold three months after it came out...
David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar Would Have Been Part of Van Halen ‘Kitchen Sink’ Reunion Tour
If Eddie Van Halen’s health hadn’t deteriorated, then he — along with singers Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth — would have reunited in a “kitchen-sink tour,” Eddie’s son Wolfgang said. “If only things had been better,” Wolfgang told Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show (via Rolling Stone), “it would have been amazing.” Eddie Van Halen died on Oct. 6, following a long battle with cancer. In the interview, Wolfgang admitted that he convinced his dad to think about touring with both Hagar, Roth — and even bassist Michael Anthony, who Wolfgang replaced in 2006. They even reportedly considered bringing out former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone, who sang on one Van Halen album, 1998’s Van Halen II. While there haven’t been any public c...
David Lee Roth Shares New Song Dedicated to Eddie Van Halen
Tributes to Eddie Van Halen have been rolling in since his death earlier this month, and the latest comes from his Van Halen bandmate David Lee Roth. On Friday, the singer released a new song called “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill” and dedicated to the legendary guitarist. “Hey Ed I’m gonna miss ya,” reads text on the YouTube album art. “See you on the other side.” Listen to the track below. [embedded content] Van Halen died on Oct. 6 due to complications from a decades-long battle with throat cancer. He was 65 years old. Roth was one of many who paid tribute when news broke of his death. “What a Long Great Trip It’s Been…” he captioned a black and white photo of himself and Eddie at the time. Former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony also honored Eddie during...
David Lee Roth Doubts Van Halen Will Tour Again
The last time we heard Eddie Van Halen’s name it was because a nugget about him pulling a gun on Fred Durst leaked from a new book on the increasingly reclusive guitarist. David Lee Roth had some news about his bandmate and it will be to the chagrin of Van Halen fans. In an interview with the New York Times where he mostly talks about his art during the pandemic, Roth said that Van Halen the group is unlikely to tour again due to Eddie Van Halen’s ongoing condition. The guitarist has been battling throat cancer, and Roth said if the band hasn’t returned to the road by now, the future doesn’t look promising for the hard rock legends. “I don’t know that Eddie [Van Halen] is ever really going to rally for the rigors of the road again,” Roth said. “I don’t even want to say I’ve waited — I’ve&n...
Ted Templeman Is the Most Interesting Producer in Rock
The ubiquitous advertising campaign featuring “the most interesting man in the world” got it wrong. The most interesting man is indeed a debonair gray-haired gentleman, but he’s real: Ted Templeman, record producer of classics from Van Halen, Van Morrison, stellar non-Van’s including Captain Beefheart, The Doobie Brothers, Bette Midler, and many more. The 77-year-old Santa Cruz, California, native was a revered record executive and is a multi-instrumentalist, avid history buff and sublime teller of tales. There’s the one about, how, in 1969, after a gig with his band Harper’s Bizarre [they had a hit with a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”] their TWA flight to San Francisco was hijacked. Understandably, Templeman still dislikes flying. There ar...
