You’re in the studio working on a song when the legendary Eddie Van Halen unexpectedly drops by and wants to hear your latest effort. But, being the perfectionist you are, you tell him to wait until it’s done, which turns out to be a pretty bad decision. That’s the bittersweet memory that haunts Nuno Bettencourt, who recently shared his final encounter with the late Eddie Van Halen in an interview with Metal Edge.
Nuno Bettencourt, a name synonymous with blazing guitar solos and riffs, was in the midst of recording his song ‘Rise‘ for his latest album ‘Six’ when his session was unexpectedly interrupted by Gary Cherone, ex-Van Halen vocalist and the current singer of the Boston rock band Extreme. Little did Nuno know this interruption would lead to a poignant moment with his idol, Eddie Van Halen.
The rocker expressed his annoyance at being disturbed during the recording process, only to find out that it was Eddie Van Halen who had stopped by. The initial irritation gave way to understanding when Nuno realized the magnitude of the situation. Gary’s persistent texts and calls turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share his work with one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Here is the story:
“On the day I was working on the solo, Gary [Cherone] was in town to finish some vocals. And Gary knows that I don’t like to be bothered while I’m recording. But for some reason, he kept blowing up my phone and asking me to go to lunch, which really pissed me off.
Gary texted me, ‘Hey, what’s happening in there? You’ve got to come out front; somebody is here to say ‘Hi.’ I’m like, ‘Okay…’ and I went downstairs, and as I walked out, I saw that Edward Van Halen was waiting for me. They’d already gone to lunch together, and that’s why Gary had been trying to get a hold of me… which was a good reason to interrupt.
When I got downstairs, Edward asked me to go up and listen to what I was working on. Being the Virgo and the idiot I am, I was like, ‘Wait ’til it’s done. I’ll show you then.’ And Edward said, ‘Absolutely, I’ll come back then.’ But he sadly passed away not too long after that. So, I’m hoping that he’s smiling down on me. But ‘Rise’ is special because that’s the song I was cutting the last time I saw him.”
Nuno’s story shows how precious time is and how quickly it can slip through our fingers like sand in an hourglass. It’s a lesson in never taking a moment for granted, as sometimes the chance to share something special with someone you admire can be lost in an instant. We hope that wherever Eddie Van Halen is now, he’s smiling down on Nuno, rocking out to ‘Rise’ in the great gig in the sky.
