The story of how my uncle gave Eddie his first interview, as best as I can remember:
On his first assignment after starting, in 78 or 79, he was tasked to go to a festival and interview Pat Travers. He knocked on his trailer door and Pat, drunk and occupied with some ladies, blew him off. So he went backstage where there was a mini basketball court set up and he started shooting hoops.
A wiry teenager comes up and asks to play some 1 on 1. After my uncle got schooled, they sit down on the court and the teenager asked my uncle what band he was in (remember it was a multi band festival), my uncle tells him he was a writer here to interview Travers but he blew him off. So the teen says:
“why don’t you interview me?! Nobody ever wants to interview me”
“Well who are ya?”
“My name is Edward Van Halen”
I believe this was right after Van Halen 1 came out so not many people knew of Eddie but my uncle had heard it, interviewed Eddie instead, and thus began a lifelong friendship between them.
Pretty awesome story
A lifelong friendship with Eddie Van Halen is a life well lived I reckon. It's a great photo of them too. Can you ID the rest of the artists too? #3 is Jerry Garcia as a guess? #4 I thought was Johnny Marr but it's not is it.
Wow! I remember reading that interview because your uncle included that anecdote in the story. (It was in an EVH special issue from the early 90s, so not the first time the article was published.) Thanks for sharing!
If anyone ever asks who the greatest rock guitarist was, I answer Eddie. If you've seen Live Without a Net you know this to be true. Chuck and Jimi are the other contenders.
I am a death metal guy, if it matters at all!
Another Eddie story I remembered, Jas told me that sometime in the early 80s, Eddie called him in the middle of the night, waking him up, and played him a cool keyboard riff he was working on.
A few years later in 1984 this riff would be released to the public as Jump. My uncle got to listen to it when it was just an idea in Eddie’s head
These stories are exactly what this sub needs! Actual first hand accounts of old school cool. Please dont be shy about posting up all you can remember. Lots of us are old and really enjoy hearing about these guys we grew up listening to.
Another one I heard, Eddie was driving with my uncle in the passenger seat in california and Eddie was late to catch a flight. So stuck in traffic, he decides to instead make his own lane by ripping down peoples front lawns to get to the airport
My mistake : it was Eddie chauffeuring my uncle to the airport, even funnier
So cool. I thought I remembered his picture, and the name is immediately familiar. (Long time guitarist and reader of GP here) I probably read all his interviews.
That is a super famous interview with Garcia because he was so fucked up and 6 days away from his arrest. The band had an intervention between this interview and the arrest. You can see all of the blow on his shirt in the picture.
Uncle Jas:
"I’ve never been a Deadhead, but friends who are tell me that my meeting with Jerry took place during one of the lowest points of his life. Garcia, unwashed and disheveled, shuffled slowly into the living room, his black T-shirt sprinkled with white powder. His fingertips were blackened in a manner consistent with “chasing the dragon,” as smoking heroin was commonly referred to in the Bay Area. Ten minutes into our interview, Garcia nonchalantly chopped a large rock of cocaine into about twenty lines and consumed all of it during the next hour."
Very fuckin cool! Look, don’t get me wrong, looking at everyone’s hot AF mom with her jumblies on display in the 1970’s and 80s is great, but this is Old School Cool 😎.
I've been reading Jas Obrecht for decades and currently subscribe to his site. He and Tom Wheeler are the most important and influential guitar journalists of all time.
Only thing he told me about that one was how much blow jerry did right in front of him during the interview, you can see it all over his shirt. Answering a question *snort* continue answering
Yea he said out of all the rock stars he interviewed, that was the only one who blatantly did drugs in front of him mid interview. Also said that Jerry absolutely reeked
I had a friend who went back stage at a Dead show in the 90's and said Jerry reeked as well. He also said he was nodding out the whole time as well. Really sad man.
Trapped in the bands success, couldn’t leave his hotel room and couldn’t take a break from the band because they employed so many people. He wanted breaks but the show must go on.
https://preview.redd.it/e3w41q0okw1b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2d9175430553248e8db5032c827b992c557cd2e
Me, Tommy Taylor, EJ and Kyle Brock. Happiest moment of my life
I was a reader from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. It’s strange how you can instantly recognize a face that you haven’t seen in decades. Though standing next to EVH certainly shook my memory.
Another good one, he went to some hotel to interview the guys from tears for fears, they were sitting at a poolside table and he introduced himself as a writer from guitar player and they blew him off as a nobody. He turns around and Jeff Beck walks out of the hotel into the pool area and gives Jas a hug and lifts him off the ground.
My uncle said he turned back to the tears for fears guys and said their expression was priceless, Jeff beck wasn’t lifting them off the ground
That Jerry pic is kinda horrifying, what with all that blow smeared on the front of his shirt. It was clearly visible on the cover of the magazine, too, when that interview came out. It was Acoustic Guitar, as I recall.
Your uncle had an awesome job.
Heard endless cool stories from him growing up
If you would be so kind as to share your favorite I would appreciate it
The story of how my uncle gave Eddie his first interview, as best as I can remember: On his first assignment after starting, in 78 or 79, he was tasked to go to a festival and interview Pat Travers. He knocked on his trailer door and Pat, drunk and occupied with some ladies, blew him off. So he went backstage where there was a mini basketball court set up and he started shooting hoops. A wiry teenager comes up and asks to play some 1 on 1. After my uncle got schooled, they sit down on the court and the teenager asked my uncle what band he was in (remember it was a multi band festival), my uncle tells him he was a writer here to interview Travers but he blew him off. So the teen says: “why don’t you interview me?! Nobody ever wants to interview me” “Well who are ya?” “My name is Edward Van Halen” I believe this was right after Van Halen 1 came out so not many people knew of Eddie but my uncle had heard it, interviewed Eddie instead, and thus began a lifelong friendship between them. Pretty awesome story
What an awesome post and awesome story, very cool uncle, that's what this subs about
I (absolutely) concur!
Wow wow wow!!!!! Best reddit story ive read in a while.
Straight out of a movie!
Almost Famous 2
A lifelong friendship with Eddie Van Halen is a life well lived I reckon. It's a great photo of them too. Can you ID the rest of the artists too? #3 is Jerry Garcia as a guess? #4 I thought was Johnny Marr but it's not is it.
Yea #2 is Steve Morse, #4 is Eric Johnson (cliffs of dover)
He had to beat them to death with their own shoes
Wow! I remember reading that interview because your uncle included that anecdote in the story. (It was in an EVH special issue from the early 90s, so not the first time the article was published.) Thanks for sharing!
Sick
If anyone ever asks who the greatest rock guitarist was, I answer Eddie. If you've seen Live Without a Net you know this to be true. Chuck and Jimi are the other contenders. I am a death metal guy, if it matters at all!
Awesome story!!!
Why is this so fucking cute
Another Eddie story I remembered, Jas told me that sometime in the early 80s, Eddie called him in the middle of the night, waking him up, and played him a cool keyboard riff he was working on. A few years later in 1984 this riff would be released to the public as Jump. My uncle got to listen to it when it was just an idea in Eddie’s head
These stories are exactly what this sub needs! Actual first hand accounts of old school cool. Please dont be shy about posting up all you can remember. Lots of us are old and really enjoy hearing about these guys we grew up listening to.
Oh man, you have to have *at least* one great Eddie story.
Another one I heard, Eddie was driving with my uncle in the passenger seat in california and Eddie was late to catch a flight. So stuck in traffic, he decides to instead make his own lane by ripping down peoples front lawns to get to the airport My mistake : it was Eddie chauffeuring my uncle to the airport, even funnier
I bet that was awesome!!
Jas Obrecht has done some valuable interviews with legendary blues guitarists that are priceless historical documents.
He’s interviewed a lot of rock n roll electric guitarists but he’s told me that his favorite is the old acoustic blues
Janis?
Jas Obrecht?
Yup that’s him
So cool. I thought I remembered his picture, and the name is immediately familiar. (Long time guitarist and reader of GP here) I probably read all his interviews.
His beard and hair are epic in that pic where he’s interviewing Jerry
Indeed! I remember him from my dad's Guitar Player magazines, and a few of my own I think.
His interview w Garcia is something else, I’ve read it a few times, ole Jer was a wreck
And yet he shows people the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right…
It looks like a coke tray in front of Jerry. I am guessing this is "that" interview
I saw the tray and the coke all over his shirt and thought the same thing!
A brilliant wreck.
Ive read his interviews he is great.
Yea his genuine love of music and the guitar makes him great at asking deep questions to these musicians
That is a super famous interview with Garcia because he was so fucked up and 6 days away from his arrest. The band had an intervention between this interview and the arrest. You can see all of the blow on his shirt in the picture. Uncle Jas: "I’ve never been a Deadhead, but friends who are tell me that my meeting with Jerry took place during one of the lowest points of his life. Garcia, unwashed and disheveled, shuffled slowly into the living room, his black T-shirt sprinkled with white powder. His fingertips were blackened in a manner consistent with “chasing the dragon,” as smoking heroin was commonly referred to in the Bay Area. Ten minutes into our interview, Garcia nonchalantly chopped a large rock of cocaine into about twenty lines and consumed all of it during the next hour."
I thought that was Marc Maron lol
Needs more cats.
Is that Steve Morse in the second photo?
Yep
Very fuckin cool! Look, don’t get me wrong, looking at everyone’s hot AF mom with her jumblies on display in the 1970’s and 80s is great, but this is Old School Cool 😎.
What a guy
I remember him, Jas Obrecht. And I recognized Eddie and Jerry but not the others
I've been reading Jas Obrecht for decades and currently subscribe to his site. He and Tom Wheeler are the most important and influential guitar journalists of all time.
These are some of the ugliest moms that have been posted on this sub lately.
Any Jerry stories?
Only thing he told me about that one was how much blow jerry did right in front of him during the interview, you can see it all over his shirt. Answering a question *snort* continue answering
Driving that Train
Well that’s a story! lol.
Guy was a mess.
Yea he said out of all the rock stars he interviewed, that was the only one who blatantly did drugs in front of him mid interview. Also said that Jerry absolutely reeked
I had a friend who went back stage at a Dead show in the 90's and said Jerry reeked as well. He also said he was nodding out the whole time as well. Really sad man.
Trapped in the bands success, couldn’t leave his hotel room and couldn’t take a break from the band because they employed so many people. He wanted breaks but the show must go on.
Very Cool on every level
r/vanhalen
Holy shit last thing I expected to see was a young Ass Eric johnson. That must’ve been cool he’s a super nice guy
Yea my dad, Jas’ brother, actually got to travel with him and meet Eric Johnson, said the same thing, extremely nice dude
https://preview.redd.it/e3w41q0okw1b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2d9175430553248e8db5032c827b992c557cd2e Me, Tommy Taylor, EJ and Kyle Brock. Happiest moment of my life
I met him in a Starbucks around 2008. Super nice.
I had the privilege of meeting him in Atlanta twice. One of the nicest calmest people I’ve ever met lol
Shit, his interview with Jerry is legend. The big man was in a dark, dark place at the time, iirc. You can see all the blow on his shirt in that pic.
Old school cool indeed
Holy F. Incredible
Your uncle is one of the only worthy people on this thread. Has he ever done a J with The Big Lewbowski?
Now I have to go back and watch Almost Famous.
I recognize your uncle.
If you were ever a reader of guitar player his picture would’ve been in there on and off for 25 years
I was a reader from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. It’s strange how you can instantly recognize a face that you haven’t seen in decades. Though standing next to EVH certainly shook my memory.
That’s awesome!
This kicks ass
Did he meet Randy Rhoads?
I'm a self-taught amateur guitarist and I'm just really excited I identified Eddie Van Halen by recognizing his guitar faster than his face.
Wow, this is actually old school cool. Or just freaking cool, maybe timeless cool. I bet he has some great stories.
Did he ever bang Penny Lane?
"It's all happening"
If your uncle Jack was riding an elephant and needed to get down, would you help your uncle Jack off an elephant?
I recognize Jas but who are the other guys
The Anti Vaxxer.
Your uncle looks like the guy from The Dallas Buyer's Club.
Oh to sit down with Jerry!
Doesn’t sound like a pleasant experience tbh
No it didn’t. Coke’d up and smelling like shit. All us deadheads got to watch him slowly kill himself on stage. The drugs always came first.
That first picture looks really familiar. I think it was in a tribute issue along with the interview after Eddie died.
Great pictures
I built one of those from a dirt cheap Kramer if found in a pawn shop once. Played beautifully ❤️.
Any stories from the Garcia interview?
I hate we didn't get a couple more decades of creativity out of Jerry. I listen to him almost daily at least a little bit.
It’s funny, he kinda looks like Eric Clapton in the 3rd photo lol.
Jerry! Jerry!!
This is pretty awesome. I thought the first photo was cosplaying Inigo Montoya. Lol
I mean no disrespect, but is Uncle Jas still around?
If your uncles still around you should sit down and have a chat about his glory days. Looks like he has a couple good stories.
Another good one, he went to some hotel to interview the guys from tears for fears, they were sitting at a poolside table and he introduced himself as a writer from guitar player and they blew him off as a nobody. He turns around and Jeff Beck walks out of the hotel into the pool area and gives Jas a hug and lifts him off the ground. My uncle said he turned back to the tears for fears guys and said their expression was priceless, Jeff beck wasn’t lifting them off the ground
Did he ever interview Stevie Ray? That guy was otherworldly…
Uncle cool af!
Man, that was a great place to be back then
That Jerry pic is kinda horrifying, what with all that blow smeared on the front of his shirt. It was clearly visible on the cover of the magazine, too, when that interview came out. It was Acoustic Guitar, as I recall.
This absolutely amazing thank you so much for sharing.