How Eddie Van Halen Achieved a Net Worth of $100 Million
If you have been alive for any part of the last half century, you almost certainly know who Eddie Van Halen is. He is only one of the most prolific guitar players that have ever walked the face of the earth. He is from the Netherlands, but he is well known as an American guitarist that has been famous for quite a few years. He is also a songwriter and producer. Many people know him as the co-founder of the band Van Halen, joined by another famous musician in David Lee Roth.
All of this fame and stardom means that Eddie Van Halen must certainly be worth a lot of money. That would be a correct assumption. His net worth is currently estimated to stand at over $100 million. This is largely thanks to his record album sales and numerous concert tours that he has done through the years. Even though he is not nearly as active as one was, his net worth continues to increase annually due to residual income and wise investing. Still, you might be wondering how he has been able to accumulate so much wealth over the course of his career. Continue reading to learn how he has been able to do this and where he is likely to head in the future.
The Story of Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen was actually born in Amsterdam. He was born into something of a musician’s family. His father was a famous Duth clarinetist. In addition, he played the saxophone and piano. It was in 1962 when the family would decide to immigrate to the United States. That is when Eddie Van Halen would grow up in California. He is now an American citizen. From an early age, Eddie Van Halen began to take piano lessons along with his older brother. Ironically, he never learned to read music. He became proficient at music simply by listening to it and playing it.
Eddie Van Halen would begin racking up the awards at an early age as well. For four years running beginning in 1964 he took home first place at an annual piano contest that was held at nearby Long Beach City College. Judges would often comment that Eddie Van Halen had a unique spin on classical music and that was what drew them to him. Strangely enough, Eddie Van Halen would eventually grow tired of playing of the piano as it simply did not challenge him enough. That was when he ended up getting a drum kit. He would start practicing the drums for hours each and every day, making him into a future rock superstar.
The Guitar
In addition to the drums, Eddie Van Halen began to play the guitar when he was a teenager. While his friends would be outside playing, he would lock the room to his door and start playing the guitar for hours without stopping. It is this kind of dedication that obviously served him well and contributed to his $100 million in net worth. Both Eddie Van Halen and his brother, Alex, joined with three other boys when he was in the fourth grade. They would form a boy band called The Broken Combs. They would actually perform often during lunch. It was during these performances at an early age that Eddie Van Halen decided he would like to be a professional performer.
The Music
If you are wondering when the band was formed, that was in 1972. He formed it with his brother. The name would eventually become Van Halen in 1974. This is also when the band started to develop a name for itself around the music scene in Los Angeles. They would often play at popular clubs around the city, Whisky a Go Go being one of them. After a few years, Van Halen would attract the attention of a major record producer. They would sign their first big contract with Waner Brothers back in 1977.
The first album that Van Halen ever produced would jump to the number 19 spot on the Billboard charts for pop music. This would make them one of the most popular debuts in rock music history. People would classify the music as a good mix of heavy metal and hard rock. It was the early 1980s that Van Halen would start touring and really develop a name for themselves around the country. One of their albums, 1984, would go platinum only one year after it was released. The band would have one hit number one song in Jump. That would actually win them a Grammy nomination as well.
most prolific guitar players that have ever walked the face of the earth. He is from the Netherlands, but he is well known as an American guitarist that has been famous for quite a few years. He is also a songwriter and producer. Many people know him as the co-founder of the band Van Halen, joined by another famous musician in David Lee Roth.
All of this fame and stardom means that Eddie Van Halen must certainly be worth a lot of money. That would be a correct assumption. His net worth is currently estimated to stand at over $100 million. This is largely thanks to his record album sales and numerous concert tours that he has done through the years. Even though he is not nearly as active as one was, his net worth continues to increase annually due to residual income and wise investing. Still, you might be wondering how he has been able to accumulate so much wealth over the course of his career.
Conclusion
While Eddie Van Halen is most famous as a lead singer for the band bearing his name, he has other accolades to his name as well. For example, he has made an appearance on the hit television show Two and a Half Men. He has also performed on numerous collaborations with other stars including Michael Jackson and Black Sabbath. While we have not heard much from Eddie Van Halen since 2009, you can bet that he is still adding to his $100 million net worth.
*Unfortunately Eddie Van Halen passed away in October of 2020.