In July of 1984, Edward Van Halen was the most popular musician in the world in the most popular band in the worldthe band that to this day bears his own surname. As a 12-year-old, author Kevin Dodds experienced his first Van Halen concert, and it changed his life. In this biography, Dodds takes a comprehensive look at the life of Van Halen, one of the worlds most famous and influential musicians. He examines Eddies early years growing up in the Netherlands; his life with his mother and musician father; the familys immigration to the United States; his lifelong trials and tribulations; and his remarkable music career. For more than a year, Dodds delved into more than a thousand different sources to compile Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography, the story that captures the life of a man with complex personality and character traits whose life and times has played an important role in American cultural and musical history. Dodds has also woven his personal experiences with Van Halen as well as his own band into this story, providing a unique perspective in the field of rock-and-roll biographies.

A vivid and energetic history of Van Halen's legendary early years After years of playing gigs everywhere from suburban backyards to dive bars, Van Halen — led by frontman extraordinaire David Lee Roth and guitar virtuoso Edward Van Halen — had the songs, the swagger, and the talent to turn the rock world on its ear. The quartet's classic 1978 debut, Van Halen, sold more than a million copies within months of release and rocketed the band to the stratosphere of rock success. On tour, Van Halen's high-energy show wowed audiences and prompted headlining acts like Black Sabbath to concede that they'd been blown off the stage. By the year's end, Van Halen had established themselves as superstars and reinvigorated heavy metal in the process. Based on more than 230 original interviews — including with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and power players like Pete Angelus, Marshall Berle, Donn Landee, Ted Templeman, and Neil Zlozower — Van Halen Rising reveals the untold story of how these rock legends made the unlikely journey from Pasadena, California, to the worldwide stage.

The recent passing of Eddie Van Halen marked the somber end to one of rock 'n' roll's greatest eras. The iconic and innovative guitar wizard and his rowdy bandmates were synonymous with hard rock from the late 1970s through the 1990s, churning out hits like "Runnin' With the Devil," "Jump" and "Why Can't This Be Love" through a variety of lineups. From the breakout years headed by flamboyant lead singer David Lee Roth to the decade with the boisterous Sammy Hagar up front, Van Halen maintained a perpetual appeal with fans and critics. This LIFE special issue explores the turbulent history and massive popularity of the mercurial band and their legendary music.

Come the late '70s, the rock music landscape was littered with the bloated carcasses of bands who partied too hard, burned out, or became complacent in success. The door was open for something fresh, wild, and enrapturing. Enter Van Halen. Made up of two Dutch-born brothers, one on drums and the other whose guitar was an extension of his very being, a bass player with a golden throat, and a frontman who made up for his lack of singing ability with attitude and gravity-defying acrobatics onstage, they were unlike anything ever seen before. Alex and Edward Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and David Lee Roth put a cap on one decade and exploded into the next with a brand of music not quite punk, not quite metal, and not at all subtle. They went from headlining backyard keggers to top billing at the US Festival in front of three hundred thousand people within five years. Then, right when it looked like there wasn't an obstacle created to slow the Mighty Van Halen ascent, the group imploded from the inside out, only to rebound stronger than ever with ex-Montrose howler Sammy Hagar leading them to four consecutive number one albums. Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock tells the story of how one of America's greatest bands weathered arguably the most dramatic soap opera in rock and roll history with songs that would weave themselves into the fabric of every musician who heard them, alongside an incendiary and unrivaled live show. Featuring exclusive interviews with insiders, fans, and artists who were there to witness the rise, the tumult, and the making of legends, it's a story that has to be read to be believed.

'The game changing guitar legend gets the biography he deserves ... Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written.' 8/10, Classic Rock'An affectionate and unflinching portrait of metal guitar's Mount Everest.' MojoArriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream and others.From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-'60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential Californian band of the 1980s. But there was also an undercurrent of tragedy to their story, as Eddie's struggles played out in public, from his difficult relationship with the band's original singer, Dave Lee Roth, to substance abuse, divorce and his long-running battle with cancer.With unique insights, Paul Brannigan's Eruption reaches beyond the headlines to explore the cultural and social contexts that shaped this iconic guitarist, while also turning up the dial on a life lived at volume eleven.

From its origins in the culture of late medieval Europe to enormous global popularity in the twentieth, the guitar and its development comprise multiple histories, each characterized by distinct styles, playing techniques, repertories, and socio-cultural roles. These histories simultaneously span popular and classical styles, contemporary and historical practices, written and unwritten traditions, and Western and non-Western cultures. This is the first book to encompass the breadth and depth of guitar performance, featuring twelve essays covering different traditions, styles, and instruments, written by some of the most influential players, teachers, and guitar historians in the world. The coverage of the book allows the player to understand both the analogies and the differences between guitar traditions; all styles--from baroque, classical, country, blues, and rock to flamenco, African, and Celtic--will share the same platform, along with instrument making. As musical training is increasingly broadened this comprehensive book will become an indispensable resource.

'James Hetfield is a guitarist of otherworldly ability... this book tries to understand, de-mystify and even humanise a rock legend who, for most of his career, has remained impenetrable.' Metallica's ascension from thrash metal obscurity to becoming arguably one of the greatest rock bands the world has ever known, can be directly attributed to its lead singer and guitarist, James Hetfield. Having sold 110 million records worldwide and with an impressive eight Grammy Awards to their name, Metalliis undoubtedly a commercial triumph, but what of the man behind the music? Of Metal and Man is the newly revised biography of this rock legend, offering an exclusive insight into the life and career of one of Metallica's founding members. Author Mark Eglinton charts the hidden complexities of the relationships within the band, exploring the effects that global fame has had on Hetfield and his cohorts. Eglinton sheds light on both the highs of worldwide success and the lows of addiction and alcohol abuse, giving details of exclusive first-hand interviews with key figures from the band's inner circle. Dramatic and compelling, and now with newly updated material, this is the definitive biography of James Hetfield - singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of a band which has changed the face of rock, the world over.

The fifth installment of the bestselling Intellectual Devotional series features 365 captivating entries about the most celebrated personalities in history. Like its compulsively readable predecessors, The Intellectual Devotional Biographies is organized into seven categories, one for each day of the week. With their trademark wit and style, authors David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim offer an array of fascinating facts about major figures from Atilla the Hun to Desmond Tutu. In this daily devotional, you will learn about: • authors and artists, from Homer and Ovid to Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf • leaders, such as Queen Elizabeth I, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, and Napoleon Bonaparte • innovators, from Johannes Gutenberg to Isaac Newton to Werner Heisenberg • philosophers, including Socrates, Epicurus, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jean-Paul Sartre • rebels and reformers, from Joan of Arc and Spartacus to Galileo and Che Guevara • preachers and prophets, including Lao-tzu, John the Baptist, Martin Luther, and Gandhi • villains, such as Benedict Arnold, Genghis Khan, Ivan the Terrible, and Jack the Ripper This volume shares the personal histories, accomplishments, and troubles of 365 people who have left an indelible mark on the world.

With over forty years of history, Black Sabbath revolutionized the history of rock giving the initial impetus for creation and propagation of heavy metal. In four decades of success, the band led by Tony Iommi has its recognition with classics in the world of metal, such as “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath “and” Paranoid “. The Sabbath had several members, but it was in the voice and figure of the eccentric Ozzy Osbourne that the group gained weight in music scene. In this unauthorized biography, the reader will know the whole history of the band that colored rock with more obscure shades and lyrics that speak without fear of the world’s darkness. Also brings the complete discography, trivia and amazing pictures.