On Thursday, October 24th, Alex Van Halen joined in for a conversation with Ariel Levy and discussed his memoir, “Brothers”, his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love, at Robert Frost Auditorium in Culver City, California.
Alex Van Halen opens up on Eddie Van Halen
Alex is the co-founder of the rock band Van Halen and its original drummer. Born in Amsterdam and trained as a classical pianist, he graduated from Pasadena High School. Levy was Alex Van Halen’s collaborator on “Brothers” and is the author of her own The New York Times best-selling memoir “The Rules Do Not Apply”.
Alex Van Halen wrote “Brothers” which is a love letter to his younger brother, while still mourning Eddie Van Halen’s untimely death. He recalled their childhood in an 800-square foot house in Pasadena, with an itinerant musician father and proper Indonesian-born mother — how they arrived in the U.S. from the Netherlands and struggled to fit in. He also shares stories of musical politics, infighting and bad-boy behavior. David Lee Roth has been criticized by Alex in media surrounding the book, and he uploaded a dancing video sporting a new hairstyle in response.
The book also includes never-before-seen photos from the author’s private archives, as he sets the record straight on his brother’s life and death in the first-ever accurate account of his family and the band.
Levy has received a National Magazine Award for her work at The New Yorker, where she has been a staff writer since 2008. She is the host and co-creator of the podcast “The Just Enough Family”.
The audiobook version of “Brothers” contains a previously unreleased song composed by Alex and his brother. Titled “Unfinished”, it is the last piece of music they wrote together and can be heard as Alex narrates his story.
The 384-page “Brothers” book was released on October 22nd via HarperCollins Publishers and has a list price of $32.00.
