In his new memoir, Brothers, Alex Van Halen reflects on his complicated relationship with his younger brother and bandmate, Eddie Van Halen, offering deeply personal revelations about their family, their rise to fame, and the challenges that came with it. The memoir delves into their shared history, from Alex’s first drink at the age of six—given to him by their father—to their eventual superstardom with Van Halen, marked by both triumph and internal conflict.
Alex’s recounting of his early experiences with alcohol is one of the more startling confessions in the book. At six years old, his father, who was a jazz musician and an alcoholic, gave him alcohol as a pacifier. Reflecting on how drinking became a way to numb life’s difficulties, Alex admits that by the time he and Eddie were teenagers, they were already “pros” at drinking. Their mother, who was Indonesian and faced racism throughout her life, had different expectations for her sons. She wanted them to study classical music, viewing rock as something disgraceful, especially in a society where she sought acceptance.
The memoir also touches on Alex’s decision to quit drinking in 1986 after their father passed away. He describes feeling a sense of responsibility after seeing the toll alcohol had taken on their family and vowed to make things better.
One of the central themes in Brothers is Alex’s relationship with Eddie, which was both collaborative and contentious. Eddie’s death in 2020 after a long battle with cancer still weighs heavily on Alex. He admits to feeling anger toward his brother for not taking his health seriously, particularly after Eddie opted for risky surgeries that Alex believed worsened his condition.
The book also delves into Alex’s relationship with original Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth, which has always been fraught with tension. Though Roth was the first person Alex called after Eddie’s death, their conversation revealed just how much had changed over the years. “He’s not the same guy,” Alex said, though he acknowledged he would still answer the phone if Roth called. Despite their differences, Alex credits Roth with helping make Van Halen a success, even if the relationship was often difficult.
The memoir further explores the tensions within the band, especially after Roth left in 1985 and Sammy Hagar took over as lead singer. Alex reveals that the “spirit of the band” ended when Roth departed, despite the continued commercial success with Hagar. The creative chemistry, forged by their shared sense of being outsiders, was never the same.
While Brothers touches on moments of internal strife—like Eddie’s controversial collaboration with Michael Jackson on “Beat It” and the eventual fallout with Roth—Alex makes it clear that the memoir isn’t about slinging mud. Instead, he wants to honor the spiritual and creative bond that defined Van Halen, despite the rocky relationships along the way. He emphasizes that his intention isn’t to dwell on the dirt, but to set the record straight and show the “sensitive” side of his brother Eddie.
