Pick a Day

Sammy Hagar is born in Salinas, California. He replaces David Lee Roth as lead singer of Van Halen from 1985-1996, before returning in 2004.

Drummer Alex Van Halen, who along with his younger brother Eddie forms Van Halen, is born in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Van Halen bass player Michael Anthony is born in Chicago, Illinois.

Longtime Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth is born in Bloomington, Indiana. Wildly extroverted, he's one of the most flamboyant frontmen in rock and helps the band earn lots of airtime on early MTV. As a solo artist, his hits include the MTV favorites "California Girls" (a Beach Boys cover) and "Just Like Paradise."

Eddie Van Halen is born in Amsterdam. His family eventually settles in Pasadena, California, where he forms Van Halen with his brother, Alex, and quickly becomes one of the most acclaimed and influential guitarists in rock history.

Singer-songwriter Gary Cherone is born in Malden, Massachusetts. Best known for his work in the band Extreme, he joins Van Halen for one album: Van Halen III, released in 1997.

Van Halen release their self-titled debut album. The lead single is a cover of the Kinks classic "You Really Got Me."

Van Halen begin their first world tour, opening for Journey at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. The band, which released their debut album three weeks earlier, had been playing clubs for about four years.

The Texxas Jam takes place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, with Aerosmith, Van Halen, Journey and Ted Nugent performing. 80,000 fans brave the 100 degree heat, cooled down by fire hoses brought in by the organizers. For Aerosmith, it marks a low point in their career as drug use and infighting are about to break up the band, and their performance suffers.

Van Halen release their second album, Van Halen II, setting a furious pace that finds them issuing an album a year from 1978-1982. The album includes the concert favorites "Dance the Night Away" and "Somebody Get Me a Doctor."

David Lee Roth collapses on stage from exhaustion during a Van Halen tour stop in Spokane, Washington.

TV star Valerie Bertinelli goes to a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana, and finagles her way backstage to meet Eddie Van Halen, whom she considers a "cutie." It's a love connection: They get married less than a year later and have a son, Wolfgang, in 1991. They split in 2001 and finalize their divorce in 2007.

Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli. They separate in 2001 and divorce in 2007. Their son, Wolfgang, goes on to become the bass player in his dad's group.

MTV goes on the air, bringing music videos to the masses - at least the ones with cable.More

Michael Jackson's fight is funky and strong, as "Beat It" hits #1 in America for the first of three weeks.More

Van Halen get a record $1.5 million to play Day 2 ("Heavy Metal Day") of Apple founder Steve Wozniak's US Festival, the second and final year of the event. It's the most any act has ever been paid for a single performance.More

Van Halen release their sixth album, 1984, which finds Eddie Van Halen playing synthesizer as well as guitar. It's their most popular album, reeling in new fans with radio-friendly songs like "Jump" and "I'll Wait" while feeding their faithful with rockers like "Panama" and "Hot For Teacher." Lead singer David Lee Roth leaves the next year, replaced by Sammy Hagar.

Van Halen's "Jump" hits #1 in the US, where it stays for five weeks. The song embraces the keyboard-driven sound of the era with a synthesizer played by their guitarist, Eddie Van Halen.

Van Halen's 1984 rises to #2 on the US albums chart, held off by Michael Jackson's Thriller, which has already topped the tally for 31 weeks. 1984 stays one spot behind Thriller for two more weeks before dropping down. Perhaps it would have hit #1 if Eddie Van Halen hadn't done the guitar solo on "Beat It."

At The Jacksons' Victory tour stop at Texas Stadium, Eddie Van Halen joins Michael Jackson on stage to play his guitar solo from "Beat It."More

It's no joke: David Lee Roth officially leaves Van Halen to start a solo career.

Sammy Hagar makes his first appearance as Van Halen's lead singer when the group begin their tour in Louisiana.

Van Halen prove there is life after David Lee Roth as their album 5150, their first with Sammy Hagar, hits #1 in the US for the first of three weeks.More

The Monsters of Rock tour, with a lineup of Metallica, Van Halen, Scorpions and Dokken, kicks off with a show at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin. Metallica emerge super-sized, and soon after the tour release their album ...And Justice for All. Dokken, strained from infighting and exhaustion, break up after the tour.

The sitcom Sydney premieres on CBS, starring Valerie Bertinelli and a pre-Friends Matthew Perry. Bertinelli's husband Eddie Van Halen provides the theme song: "Finish What Ya Started."

Eddie Van Halen and his wife Valerie Bertinelli welcome a son, Wolfgang Van Halen, who eventually becomes the bass player in Van Halen.

Melissa Etheridge electrifies the crowd at Neil Young's annual Bridge School benefit concert with a rendition of Janis Joplin's "Piece Of My Heart." Warren Zevon, Bonnie Raitt, Ann and Nancy Wilson (of Heart), Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen, and Simon & Garfunkel also perform.

Van Halen announce that Sammy Hagar, their lead singer since 1985, is no longer with the group and they're "in the studio working with original lead singer David Lee Roth." Roth records two new songs with the band for their first greatest hits album but is jilted when they bring on Gary Cherone as their new frontman in October.

At the MTV Video Music Awards, Van Halen, who recently parted ways with lead singer Sammy Hagar, appear on stage with their founding frontman David Lee Roth for the first time in 11 years to present an award. The reunion is short lived - a month later they announce Gary Cherone (formerly of Extreme) as their new lead singer. Roth releases a statement saying, "I was an unwitting participant in this deception." Van Halen release one album with Cherone before reuniting with Roth in 2007.

Van Halen, who months earlier recorded two new songs with original lead singer David Lee Roth, shock fans by announcing their new lead singer will not be Roth but Gary Cherone from the band Extreme. The Cherone era results in one tour, one album, and little support from fans. The band finally reunites with Roth in 2007.