Watch Eddie Van Halen Play Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles — Video

Bassist Billy Sheehan recently appeared on Eddie Trunk’s podcast, where he revealed that Van Halen had twice invited him to join the group to replace Michael Anthony.

Sheehan also noted in that interview that he has played with all the members of Van Halen (he was a member of David Lee Roth’s solo band), including a live performance with Eddie. That occasion took place November 17, 1996, at an ALS benefit show for Jason Becker.

The video is fan-shot and has the usual problems, but as its title notes, it is a “must see” document of the evening.

Christopher Scapelliti

Christopher Scapelliti is editor-in-chief of Guitar Player magazine, the world’s longest-running guitar magazine, founded in 1967. In his extensive career, he has authored in-depth interviews with such guitarists as Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Corgan, Jack White, Elvis Costello and Todd Rundgren, and audio professionals including Beatles engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott. He is the co-author of Guitar Aficionado: The Collections: The Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World, a founding editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine, and a former editor with Guitar WorldGuitar for the Practicing Musician and Maximum Guitar. Apart from guitars, he maintains a collection of more than 30 vintage analog synthesizers.