Van Halen Rumored To Return In 2019…Without This Familiar Face

Could It Be True?

If the rumors are true, then we’re in for a loud – and fun – 2019.

As 2018 winds to a close, it’s looking more and more like we’ll be seeing quite a bit of Van Halen in 2019, marking the band’s return to the spotlight after 3 long years away and a whole lot of uncertainty.

The last time we saw Dave, Eddie, and Alex was in 2015; joined by Eddie’s son Wolfgang, Van Halen’s North American tour saw them rock across the United States and Canada before calling it quits at the Hollywood Bowl that fall, and Diamond Dave even got a neat new scar as a souvenir:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3_JemWAy4

In recent weeks, David Lee Roth has been fanning the flames of a possible Van Halen reunion for 2019, complete with a stop at Yankee Stadium. “When we come back through town in the summertime and do the original thing, maybe somewhere sportin’, maybe with somebody famous,” he told Vulture. “…my rock band will be playing the same place that the Yankees play.”

Now, it’s rumored that if Van Halen’s plans for a stadium tour turn out to be true, they’ll be missing a familiar face…Wolfgang Van Halen, who would be stepping aside to allow for the moment fans have waited too many long years to see: the return of bassist Michael Anthony.

Radio personality Eddie Trunk revealed via Ultimate-Guitar that rumblings in the music industry surrounding Anthony’s return to Van Halen are getting stronger and louder, and while unconfirmed at this time and merely rumors until someone in Van Halen’s camp says otherwise, Trunk might be onto something here.

“The rumors from reliable sources – but still rumors that are unconfirmed – is that the band will tour in 2019 with the original band, which would mean the return of Michael,” he revealed. “So again I cannot stress enough that is not confirmed in any way shape or form but there are starting to be some real substantial rumors about that as we close out 2018.”

Though he regrettably can’t reveal his sources, Trunk assured fans that he’s hearing rumblings of a classic Van Halen reunion from folks pretty high up – and where there’s smoke, there’s fire…right?

“It’s something to hope for but I can tell you there are people that are actively in the music industry that listen to this show and I got an email from one yesterday saying, ‘Yeah I’m hearing it too. I’m hearing stadiums and I’m hearing, ‘original band’.’

Only time will tell. But if Guns N’ Roses could withstand the rumors of their reunion, pull off not just the initial reunion but a tour that grossed well over $560 million worldwide without self-destructing, anything is possible.