Eddie Van Halen almost tapped a musician to sing for Van Halen after David Lee Roth's departure.
Van Halen lost its frontman a few years after its debut when Roth decided to leave the band to pursue a solo career. He was soon replaced by former Montrose lead vocalist, Sammy Hagar, but a musician revealed he almost got the position instead.
Van Halen Almost Had a Different Frontman Instead of Sammy Hagar
Speaking with "The Classic Rock Podcast," Deep Purple vocalist Glen Hughes shocked listeners by revealing that the late Eddie Van Halen nearly asked him to join Van Halen decades ago.
Hughes said the guitar god's move happened while Van Halen tried to find Roth's replacement nearly four decades ago.
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According to the Deep Purple bassist, Eddie was sober when he almost asked him about the position.
"Look... Wow... Would it have worked?" Hughes said. "I'm not sure. Unless I was completely sober - and I've been sober now for 24 years. Yeah, it would have been interesting, wouldn't it? [Laughs] You never know."
His statement resonated with what he told Swedish journalist Mike Eriksson during a 1996 interview when he mentioned the hypothetical collaboration between the bands. He revealed that Eddie told him in 1995 that he would have scored the gig if he was clean and sober when the position was vacated.
It may not be a surprise to some, especially since Eddie repeatedly declared Deep Purple as his musical influence and said that the "Burn" guitar riff was one of his favorites of all time.
Instead of any other musicians, Hagar became Roth's official replacement and started recording chart-topping albums with Van Halen.
Van Halen Is No More
Eddie Van Halen died in October 2020 after his battle with cancer and due to the complications, the dreaded disease caused.
Van Halen has not marked a reunion tour since then, but Eddie's son Wolfgang recently said that the band "doesn't exist anymore."
He told The Messenger that, while he understands fans' desire to see a Van Halen concert, it is time for everyone to move on already.
"And if I have to figure out how to have a life without my father in it, I think people can figure out how to live without Van Halen, because it can't happen," he said. "Dad's not here, Van Halen doesn't exist anymore as far as I'm concerned."
READ MORE: Van Halen Reunion Impossible After Eddie Van Halen's Death, Sammy Hagar Explains Why
