My 26-Year Interview With Eddie Van Halen (Book Excerpt)

variety.com:

Steve Rosen Rock journalist Steve Rosen started interviewing Eddie Van Halen in 1977 and continued to speak with the guitar legend through 2003.

Those conversations, and his observations and insights, are shared in the book “Tonechaser – Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen,” out now.

Rosen had previously authored biographies on Jeff Beck, Free/Bad Company, Black Sabbath and Randy Rhoads. In this excerpt describing a 1978 hang, his budding friendship with Van Halen is on full display. Excerpt from Chapter 4: How to Play Guitar Like Eddie Van Halen in One (Not So) Easy Lesson (December 30th, 1978) I sensed early on that Edward didn’t want somebody falling all over him or telling him how great he was.

He didn’t need me to say those things to him because even from the earliest times I spent with him, he seemed to know precisely who he was and where he began and ended.