Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony recently opened up about lingering regrets and missed opportunities during a candid conversation with Get On The Bus (transcribed by Blabbermouth). Reflecting on his years with the iconic rock band, Anthony shared a sense of unfinished business, especially regarding how the band’s story ultimately ended.
“The only regret that I have is how things, unfortunately, turned out for Van Halen… It’s a culmination of everything that happened or whatever, because when Van Halen was really firing on all 12 cylinders, we’re living the dream, it’s the fairy tale or whatever, and the first time it ended when [original Van Halen singer David Lee Roth] left the band, luckily Sammy [Hagar] joined the band and it was like a rebirth. And the band was even bigger at that point or whatever.”
Anthony went on to express that what still weighs on him is the band’s lack of a proper send-off.
“But the only regret I have is the way it all ended,” he continued. “It should have gone out with a fricking bang that shook the world, and it was more like a whimper, the way everything ended.”
One particular point of sadness for Anthony is that he and the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen were never able to reconcile before Eddie’s passing in 2020.
“Unfortunately Eddie and I never [made amends] — we had some issues, and I’m sure that if he had not passed when he did that we would’ve reconciled or we would’ve really calmed all that stuff down, because I did hear, and I’ve talked to Wolfgang [Van Halen, Eddie‘s son and Anthony‘s replacement in Van Halen] about it, that they were planning on coming to all of us and putting together a big reunion tour with all of us,” Anthony added. “And at that point in Ed‘s life, I think he was a little bit more, like, ‘Hey, the past is the past. Let’s all… fricking water under the bridge,’ that whole bit. But, unfortunately, it was not to be.”
In a separate interview from May 2024 with Sally Steele, Anthony had addressed whether he ever had the chance to reconnect with Eddie before his death.
“No, unfortunately, Eddie and I never had a chance to really settle any differences that we had in the past or whatever. But at the end of 2023, here, Wolfgang, he played the House of Blues out here in Las Vegas with his new band Mammoth WVH, and I went to the show as his guest. And we talked, we sat and talked, and there was a lot of closure for me there. Valerie [Bertinelli, Wolfgang‘s mother and Eddie‘s ex-wife] was there. So it was a great night. Besides the fact that Wolf is a great guy, great musician, his band kicks ass. But, yeah. So at least we were able to do that.”
The conversation also touched on Anthony’s relationship with Wolfgang, who famously took over bass duties in Van Halen during the band’s later years.
When interviewer Sally Steele noted that Anthony is now “friends” with the man who essentially replaced him, Anthony was quick to affirm it.
“Yeah. Oh, yeah, we’ve always been friends. I think in Wolfie’s mind… And Eddie, wanted to play with his son. The way I kind of feel is that Wolfgang probably wasn’t excited, really, about being in Van Halen. That’s why in his band, he doesn’t play any Van Halen, ’cause he wants to carve out his own niche. But just to be able to get up and play with his father, I can totally understand that. But no, I love Wolfie, man. I hadn’t seen him in, like, 20 years. I went to the show, it was great. We had a great time, great hangout.”
Asked if he had seen any signs that Eddie was grooming Wolfgang to take over his spot in the band, Anthony said that wasn’t the case at all.
“No, no. I didn’t see him grooming him for my job. ‘Cause [Wolfgang] played drums. That was his first instrument that he played. And he knew a couple of chords on guitar ’cause in 2004 when we did the Van Halen reunion tour, Wolfie came out and actually strummed a couple of chords with [Eddie] at some of the shows. But being Eddie Van Halen‘s kid, you’re gonna be a multi-instrumental person anyway.”
