EVH asked Jimmy Barnes to front Van Halen in 1984

[joey78]

Not many people know this but Eddie asked Australian rocker Jimmy Barnes to front Van Halen in 1984 after Roth left and again in 1996 after Sammy left


https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

After the release of his second solo album, For the Working Class Man, Barnes captured the attention of some of the world’s biggest bands.

“During that period I was asked to join Deep Purple, Van Halen and Little Feat, all within a few months; I was the flavour of the month,” he wrote in his 2017 book Working Class Man.

“I came back from the studio on the final day and Jane (his partner) was waiting to go to the shops to buy some things on our last day there and told me to look after Mahalia and EJ (his children).

“As she left she says ‘By the way, Eddie Van Halen rang for you’.

“So I call him back and he asks me to come over to his house because he wanted to ask me something.

“I explained I couldn’t leave the house because I was babysitting, and half an hour later, there’s a knock at the door and these two guys come in very worried-looking and Eddie says they’re looking for a singer, David Lee Roth had left the band,” Barnes explained.

“I told him I didn’t really want to join another band, I was just starting my solo career and I’d like it see that through. But I was really flattered, I really like Van Halen.

“I got word when Sammy Hagar left the last time they were trying to get hold of me again.”

[Psychobolia.com]

198? That's forever ago! Pasadena didn't even exist back then.

[Bono Nettencourt]

I did. He asked a lot of people... Patty Smyth, Billy Squier, Daryl Hall... I'm sure I left someone out. He floated doing an all-star album too.

[BernieTaupson]

Of course Barnes says he was asked to join. In the 80s Ed said he got a tape from him. They never jammed. Pretty obvious Ed never asked him to join.

[Tommy2Tone84]

Is there anyone Eddie didn’t ask in 1984?

[joey78]

Of course Barnes says he was asked to join. In the 80s Ed said he got a tape from him. They never jammed. Pretty obvious Ed never asked him to join.

https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

They did ask him but I think he would have been a terrible fit . I can’t imagine him singing the Roth era material .

[FreddyFender]

I believe this 100% - great singer, Ted Templeton knew what he was doing.

Jimmy would have been cool if only because he would have done a lot more of the Roth back catalogue, but the new material would have probably ended up pretty similar to what Sammy did.

Results speak for themselves - Sammy was the guy. It was always gonna be him that won the gig.

[rubysdad]

That would have been interesting.
Best bit is we might have had more chances to see Ed and co down under.
Barnesy could party with the best of them, he would have fit right in.

[BernieTaupson]

Of course Barnes says he was asked to join. In the 80s Ed said he got a tape from him. They never jammed. Pretty obvious Ed never asked him to join.

https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

They did ask him but I think he would have been a terrible fit . I can’t imagine him singing the Roth era material .

Again, that’s Jimmy saying they asked him. Show me a clip of Ed or Alex saying they asked him. Because Ed never said that in the 80s or 90s.

[CrankerBait]

Of course Barnes says he was asked to join. In the 80s Ed said he got a tape from him. They never jammed. Pretty obvious Ed never asked him to join.

https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

They did ask him but I think he would have been a terrible fit . I can’t imagine him singing the Roth era material .

He would have been expected to sing "Panama", "Ain't Talkin Bout Love", "Panama" and maybe "Jump", all of which he could have handled. He's a great singer and would have made them his own.

I think the bigger problem would have been that Jimmy Barnes was a rocker that probably did more drugs and drank more than Ed. GQ Australia interviewed him a few years back and apparently for a few years Jimmy was putting away 10 grams of coke, 6 to 8 ecstasy pills, and 3 bottles of vodka per day. That's similar to what Dennis Hopper was doing at the peak of his addiction.

Anyway, I don't think it would have been a good combination, especially healthwise, for Ed or for Jimmy.

[Hellbound]

Of course Barnes says he was asked to join. In the 80s Ed said he got a tape from him. They never jammed. Pretty obvious Ed never asked him to join.

https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

They did ask him but I think he would have been a terrible fit . I can’t imagine him singing the Roth era material .

Again, that’s Jimmy saying they asked him. Show me a clip of Ed or Alex saying they asked him. Because Ed never said that in the 80s or 90s.

Guitar World September 1986.

Interviewer asks Eddie if he "listened to many singers before finding Sammy? I know you listened to [Australian vocalist] Jimmy Barnes.

Eddie says "and he's doing great. I got a tape from him, and its the same record he has out now. I don't know; he's a great singer, but I don't think he was right for the type of music that I write"

That and what's in Jimmy's autobio is all I ever heard about it.

[Nobodyspecial]

I'll never forget this. It was 1984 David Lee Roth Just left Van Halen. I was a sophomore in High School and Eddie Van Halen called me and asked me to to be the new lead singer
in Van Halen! I couldn't believe it! I told him I was so flattered, but I really wanted to graduate from high school first.

[CrankerBait]

Of course Barnes says he was asked to join. In the 80s Ed said he got a tape from him. They never jammed. Pretty obvious Ed never asked him to join.

https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

They did ask him but I think he would have been a terrible fit . I can’t imagine him singing the Roth era material .

He would have been expected to sing "Panama", "Ain't Talkin Bout Love", "You Really Got Me" and maybe "Jump", all of which he could have handled. He's a great singer and would have made them his own.

I think the bigger problem would have been that Jimmy Barnes was a rocker that probably did more drugs and drank more than Ed. GQ Australia interviewed him a few years back and apparently for a few years Jimmy was putting away 10 grams of coke, 6 to 8 ecstasy pills, and 3 bottles of vodka per day. That's similar to what Dennis Hopper was doing at the peak of his addiction.

Anyway, I don't think it would have been a good combination, especially healthwise, for Ed or for Jimmy.

[BernieTaupson]

Guitar World September 1986.

Interviewer asks Eddie if he "listened to many singers before finding Sammy? I know you listened to [Australian vocalist] Jimmy Barnes.

Eddie says "and he's doing great. I got a tape from him, and its the same record he has out now. I don't know; he's a great singer, but I don't think he was right for the type of music that I write"

That and what's in Jimmy's autobio is all I ever heard about it.

Thanks yes that’s exactly the one I was thinking of. It was in that GW Presents Van Halen book too.

[FreddyFender]

https://youtu.be/FUjc280XWmM?si=u0ZxrcJ-_CkyKF8X

They did ask him but I think he would have been a terrible fit . I can’t imagine him singing the Roth era material .

Again, that’s Jimmy saying they asked him. Show me a clip of Ed or Alex saying they asked him. Because Ed never said that in the 80s or 90s.

Guitar World September 1986.

Interviewer asks Eddie if he "listened to many singers before finding Sammy? I know you listened to [Australian vocalist] Jimmy Barnes.

Eddie says "and he's doing great. I got a tape from him, and its the same record he has out now. I don't know; he's a great singer, but I don't think he was right for the type of music that I write"

That and what's in Jimmy's autobio is all I ever heard about it.

To my recollection, the VH brothers never gave interviews confirming they auditioned or asked anyone to join but the guys they hired. Barnes, Eric Martin, Mitch Malloy, Patty Smyth, Sass Jordan, Daryl Hall - they never confirmed any of it.

I believe every one of 'em - VH were one of the biggest bands in the world, of course they were going to try a lot of people out. And if any of them were making it up, Alex, Ed, Monk or Daniels could easily have said "Nope, didn't happen." and make them look like clowns.

And that makes sense - Eddie wasn't about to go out there and say "I asked three or four other guys to join and they all said no. I wanted to ask Glenn Hughes but he's fucked up right now, and when I had Eric Marin come out he was a total pussy. So Sammy got the gig"

[BernieTaupson]

I heard Steve Rachelle auditioned in 85.

[thechefs2003]

I did. He asked a lot of people... Patty Smyth, Billy Squier, Daryl Hall... I'm sure I left someone out. He floated doing an all-star album too.

They asked Billy Squier? That's a new one on me. Interesting.

[joey78]

Eddie says "and he's doing great. I got a tape from him, and it’s the same record he has out now. I don't know; he's a great singer, but I don't think he was right for the type of music that I write"

Well if you watch the YouTube link in my original post above , Jimmy states that EVH wanted to write only ballads . That explains why they were trying to get a hold of Daryl Hall.