No matter what he does, people on social media continue to talk about Wolfgang Van Halen’s actions and tie them to either nepotism or not respecting his father’s legacy in Van Halen. The musician’s hands are tied when it comes to making a choice that would make the two sides happy, hence he decides to try to play in the middle most of the time. In a recent interview, he revealed that he is using several Van Halen references in his albums.
Wolfgang talks about wanting to build up his career on his own terms. This usually excludes singing Van Halen songs in his concerts, even though he was a part of the band from 2006 until their breakup. Naturally, this made some fans angry as they couldn’t see Van Halen anymore, and they wanted at least Eddie’s son to continue his father’s legacy and gain more Van Halen. This is generally not nicely worded on social media, putting Wolfgang in ugly situations.
However, Wolfgang stands his ground and defends his right to build his career based on his own songs and talents. The musician knows that he cannot deny his past. Hence, he decided to nod to Van Halen with his songs, grabbing some tunes from the band’s songs and fusing them with his creations. In his interview, he said that his father, Eddie Van Halen, is an undeniable factor in his life and story, and he indicated that he has to honor that every once in a while with his songs.
He said:
“I don’t think you can tell my story without my dad. He’s the reason why I exist and why I do what I do. On the record, there are a handful of moments that are direct references. Just like the first album ‘Don’t Back Down,’ the ending is a total reference to ‘So This is Love,’ the Van Halen song, how it ends. There are a couple of things on this album that I think will perk up the Van Halen listeners’ ears and be like ‘Oh, that’s that.'”
The musician was also accused of nepotism countless times. People were angry that Wolfgang rose to fame because his father was famous. The gesture of fusing Van Halen’s tunes into his songs might trigger this thought in some people. Yet, his current shows and fans show that the musician is managing very well to stay relevant on his own.
