Billy Sheehan recently opened up about his past jamming sessions with Eddie and Alex Van Halen. He shared details in an interview covered by Ultimate Guitar.
When asked about his jamming experience with the Van Halen brothers, Sheehan recalled the encounter taking place in the 2000s while he was still living in Los Angeles. He expressed his appreciation for being acknowledged by Alex Van Halen in his book credits.
“I went up to the house with Ed and Al, and we just jammed for a while, and I had a great time,” Sheehan said. “Through the years, [EVH] always gave me his phone number every time I saw him back in the ’80s. I saved his phone numbers and have him framed in a little thing in my room there. He lived not far from me, up on Coldwater Canyon, and I lived right down to the valley, close to him. I hope this is not too fanboy, but I wanted to share that.”
Sheehan acknowledged that the jam session was one of several occasions when Van Halen considered bringing him into the band. None of these opportunities materialized. He emphasized his respect for all the musicians involved in the band’s history.
“I don’t know whatever happened to that jam, but we did it. It was fun and a blast,” he explained. “At that point, that’s about the third time they were considering possibly working with me that I’ve been through, which is always a great honor. Various theories on why that might have been exist. I don’t want to get controversial, but it’s just an honor to know those guys—Michael, Dave, of course, and Ed and Al. I have unlimited love for all four of them.”
The renowned bassist’s connection to Van Halen spans decades. Multiple opportunities never quite came to fruition. Music Radar reports that Sheehan was offered the Van Halen bassist position on three separate occasions throughout different eras of the band’s history. These offers represented significant moments in both Sheehan’s career and Van Halen’s ongoing search for the right musical fit.
The first opportunity came as early as 1981, when his band Talas opened for Van Halen during the Fair Warning tour. A second offer followed in 1984. Eddie Van Halen showed him the stage setup and discussed the possibility of joining the legendary group. These early encounters established Sheehan as a serious contender in the band’s internal discussions about their future lineup.
Beyond these initial approaches, Loudwire reports that Sheehan met with both Eddie and Alex Van Halen at their home during later years. They discussed joining the band. These meetings represented the most personal and direct conversations about the possibility, culminating in the jamming sessions that Sheehan has spoken about in recent interviews.
Despite the multiple opportunities and his obvious admiration for the band, Sheehan has consistently maintained that his loyalty to Michael Anthony prevented him from accepting any of these offers. In a 2015 interview with Eddie Trunk, Sheehan explained his reasoning: “For many years I never said anything about it, because I thought it was a little bit denigrating to Michael Anthony. They did ask me to join Van Halen a couple of times. It never panned out, and in a way I’m glad it didn’t pan out, because I love Michael Anthony and I hate it when a band changes members.”
Sheehan’s respect for Anthony and his commitment to preserving the band’s legacy ultimately shaped his decision to remain outside Van Halen’s lineup. While Van Halen was his favorite band in the world, joining would have been a dream opportunity. He prioritized his principles over personal ambition. This principled stance has only deepened his connection to the Van Halen family, as evidenced by his continued fondness for Eddie Van Halen and his reluctance to discuss the replacement scenario in controversial terms.
