Wolfgang Van Halen shoots down rumors that he is set to take Eddie’s place in Van Halen

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Son of the late guitar hero brands speculation as a “shitty lie”

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen and Bassist Wolfgang Van Halen of Van Halen perform at Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL
(Image credit: Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis via Getty Images)

Wolfgang Van Halen has spoken out against rumors that he will take his late father Eddie Van Halen’s place in a future Van Halen reunion.

Posts on a private Wolfgang Van Halen social media fan page claimed there was a “strong possibility” the band could reunite with singer Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang on guitar.

It was even purported that EVH gave his son and brother his blessing to continue the band with Wolfgang – who had played bass with the group since 2007 – in his place.

Some of these posts reached Wolfgang, who responded via Twitter: “This is just a shitty lie attempting to capitalize on these awful times.

“Please stop with this. Anyone peddling this shit is not only hurting the fans, but hurting me and my family.”

It was recently announced that, following his father’s passing, Wolfgang Van Halen will be taking over EVH Gear, alongside longtime EVH tech Matt Bruck.

Sammy Hagar, meanwhile, revealed that he and Eddie reconciled before the guitar great’s passing, while VH manager, Irving Azoff, confirmed that Michael Anthony was lined up for a VH summer stadium tour, before Eddie’s condition worsened.

In other EVH news, the city of Pasadena, California – where Van Halen first formed – is planning a memorial to the guitar legend, with mooted options including the renaming of a street or placement of a public monument.

Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.