Earlier this month, the legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen passed away at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. Now, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is speaking out to reveal that Van Halen once asked him to be a member of his band.
“[Van Halen] phoned me up one time and asked me if I wanted to sing in his band – way after Sammy [Hagar],” Osbourne told his radio show co-host Billy Morrison. “I think he was a bit drunk.”
“We’ve all done one of them – calling at 4 o’clock in the morning, going, I got a great idea,” he added, jokingly slurring his speech.
“None of the great ideas at 4 [a.m.] are any good,” Morrison replied.
“My bad ideas got me into rehab,” Osbourne confessed.
While Osbourne declined Van Halen’s offer, he had nothing but good things to say about the rocker’s legacy.
“You think you’ve seen it all, and then out of the blue someone comes out with such a revolutionized way of playing,” Osbourne said. “To watch Eddie play was, like – his hands would turn into a spider. He was remarkable. He always made it look like it was so easy.”
Van Halen was first diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2000, and he managed to beat it by 2002. In 2019, however, it was revealed that Van Halen had secretly been battling throat cancer for five years. Sources said that his health went downhill fast in his final 72 hours, with doctors finding that his cancer had moved to his brain as well as other organs.
Van Halen’s death was announced by his 29 year-old son Wolfgang and Bertinelli, was reportedly there as well.
“He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift,” Wolfgang wrote on social media in the wake of his father’s passing. “My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020
Van Halen’s ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, paid tribute to him on social media as well.
“40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you,” she wrote on Twitter. “You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang. Through all your challenging treatments for lung cancer, you kept your gorgeous spirit and that impish grin. I’m so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments. I will see you in our next life my love.”
— Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) October 6, 2020
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.