In a recent interview on the Lipps Service podcast, Kerry King discussed how his relationship with Van Halen’s music evolved. When asked if Eddie was a significant influence during his youth, King, shared his thoughts, “In the beginning, for sure. I think I saw them six times on the first four records. I didn’t go to the first album [tour] because I was too young.”
“I would always sit in the first-row lodge with binoculars, so I could go there and not just have fun listening to the songs I like, but I could actually nerd out on what he’s playing, and try to get a grasp on what he’s throwing at us,” he recalled.
However, King has a reason why he can’t listen to the band anymore and why he stopped going to the shows after a while. “I went a bunch, and then they became more of a pop band, and I stopped going. Eddie was still a great player, but I just didn’t care anymore.”
While King no longer felt the shows were worth seeing, his admiration for Van Halen is undeniable. The rocker has mentioned many times in different interviews that Eddie Van Halen is one of his guitar heroes and even said that talking about guitar without mentioning his name wouldn’t be possible.
In another interview, he added, “I would have a hard time numbering [my guitar heroes], but I can come up with [some]. [Ritchie] Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Eddie Van Halen, without question.”
King just started his 2025 tour with a show in San Francisco, California, on June 15. The tour continues with the next one in Airway Heights, Washington, on January 17.
