Alex Van Halen to Publish New Book About Brother Eddie — See the Cover Here

'I was with him from day one,' Alex writes of his brother Eddie Van Halen, who died in 2020

Van Halen brothers photo shoot in Tokyo, Japan, June 1978. L-R Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen (left) and Alex Van Halen. Photo:

Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty 

Eddie Van Halen is the subject of a new book written by his older brother, Alex and we already can't stop lovin' it.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, publisher Harper announced the forthcoming publication of Alex Van Halen’s book, Brothers, which hits shelves this fall.

Brothers, described by its publisher as "nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read," shares stories from throughout Alex's life — from his family’s experience immigrating to the United States to his memorable career as the original drummer of Van Halen. Alex formed the band in 1972 with his brother, who died from cancer in 2020 at age 65.

Alex Van Halen's Brothers
'Brothers' by Alex Van Halen.

Jacket design by Joanne O'Neill, Jacket photograph: MediaPunch/Shutterstock

“This book is a fascinating story of a band – and so much more: it’s also a chronicle of family and talent and the passion to create,” says the book’s editor Sara Nelson. “It is the definitive take on Edward Van Halen’s life and death from the one who knew and loved him best.”

Alex and Eddie, both born in Amsterdam, began playing music together in childhood. Van Halen, which they formed after moving to California, rose to fame with their 1978 self-titled debut album. The band would go on to release seminal songs like 1978’s “Runnin’ With the Devil” and 1984’s “Jump," and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2023, they were named one of the bestselling music artists in history by Business Insider, and Eddie Van Halen remains widely recognized as one of the best guitarists of all time.

Before they were members of a world famous rock group, however, the Van Halens were brothers, which Alex pays tribute to in his book.

Photo of Eddie VAN HALEN and Michael ANTHONY and Alex VAN HALEN and VAN HALEN and David LEE ROTH,
Van Halen.

Fin Costello/Redferns

"I was with him from day one,” he writes of Eddie, excerpted from Brothers in the press release. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800-square-foot house, a mom and dad and a work ethic."

“Later, we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming successful, of becoming fathers and uncles and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life,” he continues. “We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime.”

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Brothers
will be published on Oct. 22, 2024 by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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