Wolfgang Van Halen Draws the Line: Album With Hagar & Anthony ‘Not in the Cards’

In a recent interview on the Thinking About Guitar podcast, Wolfgang Van Halen, who replaced Michael Anthony in Van Halen, confirmed that his late father, Eddie Van Halen, had envisioned a “kitchen-sink” tour. The ambitious idea would have reunited Anthony, along with vocal contributions from both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth, and there was even talk of including Gary Cherone, who sang on the band’s 1998 album Van Halen III.

Wolfgang explained why the reunion never came to fruition:

“It was dad’s health. But that had been always our idea. Dad and I came up with that idea, the kitchen-sink tour, when we were in the hospital in 2019. And it just always was working under the assumption that things would get better, and it didn’t. So that’s why.”

Mammoth Is Wolfgang’s Focus

When asked about the possibility of recording an album with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Wolfgang was definitive.

“Never. It’s not in the cards for me. Mammoth is very much where I’m happy. I have nothing but appreciation for Van Halen and its history. But when it comes to Mammoth, that’s all I wanna do.”

Rumors of a classic Van Halen reunion surfaced in early 2019, suggesting a stadium tour featuring Eddie, David, Alex, and Michael—the first time that lineup would have performed together since 1984. However, tensions between Anthony and the band, stemming from his exclusion from the 2007 reunion with Roth, complicated matters. Anthony had previously agreed to a pay cut and relinquished rights to the band’s name and logo to participate in Van Halen’s 2004 tour with Hagar.

Family Reunions and Musical Connections

Wolfgang has remained close to the Van Halen legacy. In December 2023, he reunited on stage with Michael Anthony during a Mammoth show in Las Vegas, calling the moment “long overdue.” Sharing photos backstage, Wolfgang wrote:

“Ran into an old friend at the @mammothwvh show in Vegas tonight. (Love ya, Mikey),” while Michael posted, “Went to see Mammoth last night here in Vegas, and they threw it down! Love ya Wolf, so great to see ya! (Proud of you brother!!)”

The meeting marked their first encounter in 20 years. Wolfgang also expressed excitement about seeing other Van Halen alumni, including Anthony, Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Jason Bonham, during their 2024 tour focused on the band’s music, calling it “super cool, man.”