Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography (32 page)

Dave’s response was immediate. “I was stunned this morning to learn Eddie Van Halen has cancer,” he said. “My condolences. You can whip this, champ. See you down the road.” This statement would make it obvious that Ed had kept the cancer issue completely to himself and did not even let Dave know at all what was going on. While it could’ve saved Dave and the fans a lot of heartache, as Ed said, cancer is a unique and private matter. It was clear that Dave was simply going to let things go for the moment. He actually returned to the road playing classic Van Halen songs yet again that summer.

On May 19, a very thin Edward stepped out into public for the first time in well over a year. He took Wolfie along with him to play in the LAPD annual charity golf tournament. He briefly answered questions, and he acknowledged that the three songs he had recorded with Dave would likely never be released. When asked directly if the band was back together, Edward responded by saying, “The band has always been together. Whether we have a singer or not is a different story… . Depends what we do.” The comment about the three songs was devastating for fans of classic Van Halen, and his follow-up was overly ambiguous.

Valerie was offered a role in the CBS series
Touched
by
an
Angel
in June, which would eventually require nearly eight months per year of shooting. Valerie was torn between being on location in Park City, Utah and staying home with Wolfie. Edward encouraged Valerie to take the role and offered to take on the responsibility for taking care of their son, which included back and forth to school every day, karate lessons, basketball and baseball games, homework, hot lunch deliveries, and PTA activities.

Ed’s Golf Instructor Ron

Eddie picked his clubs back up and sunk himself into golf as a respite from his cancer drama. As a result, most fans were shocked when the only real interview he had given in years was for
Maximum
Golf
magazine in August 2001 (the article detailed an afternoon from the previous May). Even more so, readers were shocked by his candidness while being interviewed by his golf instructor Ron who was credited with writing the story (along with Andy Meisler). One excerpt detailed his battle with cancer:

Eddie also tells me about the initial fear and shock he felt when he was diagnosed with cancer, but says now: “I know I’m kicking its ass out. The way I look at it is like this, I’ve run too many red lights and gotten away with it for a long time, but it kinda caught up with me. I believe that God doesn’t lay this on you unless you’re supposed to learn something. And boy, I’ve learned more in the last year and a half than I ever thought I’d learn in a lifetime. Sometimes when things are right in front of your face, you don’t see them. It seems simple, but all that really matters to me is my son and my wife. Everything and everybody else can pretty much kiss my ass. Even making music—which is pretty much my life—takes a backseat to my family and my health.”

Most importantly though, Ron says that their outing occurred “just a few days after he announced via his fan-club Web Site that he’s battling cancer.” Again, Ron specifically said, “He says he’s winning, that his chemo treatments appear to be working.” This would confirm that Edward’s cancer treatments first started at M.D Anderson in Houston in January 2000 for “preventative treatments.” He then moved on to New York for an unspecified amount of time in the summer of 2000 for treatments with Dr. Steve McClain that he would later describe as “illegal in this country.” And finally, upon Valerie’s insistence, he moved to chemo treatments via Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles in January 2001 for which he was still undergoing chemo treatments at the time of the interview in May.

While touring Ed’s home for the interview, Eddie showed off a photo of him, tour pro Fuzzy Zoeler, Bob Hope himself, and former president Gerald Ford. “When people see this picture they always ask me, ‘What the hell did you talk to the president and those other guys about?’” said Edward. “I tell them: What do all guys talk about when they’re away from their wives? Pussy, what else?!” Ron also addressed Eddie’s game. “He’s… not great,” he said. “He tends to spoil his fluid, natural swing by gripping the club too hard or swinging it too fast, which throws off his hand and body positions. But his poor technique is saved occasionally by fantastic hand-eye coordination; hours of poor shots are redeemed by 275-yard bursts of brilliance.”

With regard to his struggle with the bottle, Edward light-heartedly said, “I figured I might as well go straight, because drunk, I was a complete idiot; straight, at least I have the chance of just being half an idiot.” Again addressing his now public battle with cancer, Ed said, “I don’t know why people want to know what only my wife and son and maybe my best friends have a right to know. I say to everyone else, ‘Look, all I have to say is that I’m doing great.’ But I’m not about to go into the details until the cancer is completely gone.” Clearly in May, Eddie’s cancer was still active. In the article, he also addressed how the attorney involvement in the recent attempted reconciliation with Dave ruined the whole thing for him particularly by, in effect, minimizing his cancer battle. He admitted, “The last time I spoke to or saw Dave was back in September of last year.”

CHAPTER 35 

The Dissolution

Just a month after the golf article was published, the September 11, 2001 attacks on America had a profound impact on Valerie. Amazingly, the producer of the “Right Now” video, Carolyn Ann-Meyer Beug was aboard American Flight 11, which hit the north tower of the World Trade Center—the second plane to hit. Valerie wanted to see Wolf immediately, but the director for
Touched
By
an
Angel
insisted that work continue on as normal. She was able to get down to L.A. for the weekend, but the trip was too quick for her, so Ed made plans for him and Wolfie to come and visit her in Park City two weeks later.

Upon his arrival, Valerie noticed that Ed’s behavior was odd. “He was trying too hard to appear normal,” she said, “and made an effort to go to bed at the same time I did, which was always his way of showing me that he wasn’t doing drugs.” The following day, Valerie noticed Ed was moving his jaw around, a tell-tale sign of cocaine intoxication. Having been with him for so many years, she picked up on it immediately, and secretly went through all of his belongings. Unfortunately, when going through his wallet, she discovered a packet of coke. She was furious. Again, considering this was only two weeks after the 9/11 attacks, she thought, “How could he have brought coke with him on the plane when security was at red alert level? How could he have brought it while traveling with Wolfie? . . . Fuck him for doing this, for being so unbelievably stupid to fly with drugs on him, and with Wolfie.” Her trust was now depleted. Their relationship was coming to an end.

In a calculated effort to get back at Ed, Valerie seized on an opportunity to have an affair with her friend Mark in Park City. She said, “Once I found the coke, it was like fuck you, now I get to hurt you.” Although the affair had been brewing for quite a while, they spent only one evening together. The following morning, Valerie was wracked with guilt, and as Mark departed she knew she’d never see him again, and she didn’t. But she knew that was the marriage killer, period, and the time had finally arrived.

Back in L.A., Valerie gathered up Alex and her longtime friend Barbara to confront Edward at their home on October 15. They met at the house on a Saturday afternoon only to find Eddie still asleep in bed. Valerie expressed amazement that he could sleep after doing so much cocaine, but Alex replied, “It must be the valium.” In her autobiography, Valerie described the confrontation as follows:

“When you came up to Park City, I found your coke,” I said.

“What do you mean?” he asked. “What coke?”

“The coke in your wallet.”

“I didn’t have coke.”

I got up from the bed and looked down at him. It was a standoff.

“Ed, I’m not debating the issue. I found it. And if you don’t get help and stop doing coke, I’m going to divorce you.”

“Fuck you, divorce me.” . . .

“So I’m hearing this right, then,” I said. “You’re ready to stop.”

“Fuck you.”

“You’re going to choose this over trying to build this family back together.”

“Fuck you.”

Shortly thereafter, Valerie took Wolfgang out of school for a week and brought him with her to Utah. “Ed protested,” she said, “but I think deep down he knew he was in no condition to take care of Wolf.” Valerie said that Eddie eventually built up an incredible amount of anger toward her. “Angry, in pain, and still using drugs,” she said, “Ed badmouthed me non-stop. In person and on the phone.” Val said that Ed was convinced the whole thing was her fault—she was of the opinion that he routinely blamed others for his own problems.

He really fought Valerie on her reasoning and her timing for the split. He noted that she had partied alongside him in their early years and that she had enabled his bad habits. Ed also questioned her why she would do this when Wolfgang was now ten years old—a horrible time for a child to go through a divorce. She said, “I new I’d love [Ed] again one day but hated [him] as we went through the emotional reality of separating.”

They agreed not to tell Wolfie that they were splitting until Valerie had found a new house of her own, which would take more than half a year. They also vowed to keep it completely out of the media. In the meantime, they slept in separate rooms. To add to the general gloom and doom, Van Halen—the multi-platinum selling kings of rock and roll—was dropped by Warner Brothers in January 2002. The band officially had no record label, and Alex briefly became the default manager of the band.

That spring, beaming father Eddie played with Wolfie in his school talent show. They performed “I’m Alright” by Kenny Loggins with Ed on guitar and Wolf on drums. Valerie had been assigned to videotape the occasion, but was so moved by her son’s performance, she didn’t run the camera. When she told Ed, he said, “You
what
? You forgot to tape it?”

In April, Valerie finally found her own place, and it was time to break the news to Wolfgang. Their son was extremely distraught. Val said, “He took his yellow belt from karate and tied himself to the balcony outside his bedroom and said he wasn’t going to leave.” He eventually acquiesced and did settle into Valerie’s new digs without much of an issue. She was taken aback that after only a few weeks, Ed had a girlfriend move in with him, but as she admitted, “Who was I to say anything? I’d left him.”

Free of Cancer

During one of the worst periods of his life, Edward finally got some excellent news. Valerie said, “Fortunately, a test by a trio of oncologists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center came out clean, and Ed was given a clean bill of health—as well as a stern warning about what to do to stay cancer free.” Valerie noted that Edward continued to drink and smoke. Her love for him was already gone, but any bit that may have been lingering anywhere absolutely evaporated.

Eddie was finally ready to take the news to the public on May 9, 2002. On the band’s official site, he posted the following message:

I know I promised I’d get back to you and I’m sorry for the delay but I wanted to let you all know that I’ve just gotten a 100% clean bill of health—from head to toe. I wanted to share the good news with you immediately. And of course, I thank you all for all your good wishes and prayers along the way. Now it’s time to really get back to the music and fun… so party on and you’ll be hearing from us very soon. All my love, Eddie

That was it—the man had beaten cancer, totally and completely. One way or the other, Eddie Van Halen kicked cancer’s ass. Throughout the ordeal, Alex said that Ed was always positive he would beat it, but Alex was not. “It was a health scare,” said Alex, “and believe me, as his brother who didn’t know if he was going to make it through the next week, it was a very strange experience.”

Unfortunately, Ed and Val were devastated when
People
broke the news of their split in June. The article featured a quote from Valerie’s mom saying she was sure they were headed for divorce. But it also had a quote from Ed in which he said they were still friends and that he still loved her. In July, the media ran with the story officially: “Estranged from Van Halen, Bertinelli buys own home / Couple separated in October after 20 years of marriage.” Subsequently, Valerie’s weight skyrocketed and she ended up as heavy as she’d ever been or would be in the following year.

Public demand for anything Van Halen was so high, the most unlikely pairing in rock history came together and joined forces to wave the VH banner high and proud. David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar embarked on a summer tour together. They alternated the opening and headlining slots every other night. The tour was playfully called the 2002 Heavyweight Champs of Rock ’N Roll Tour. I caught the show on July 28 in San Antonio. Dave opened that night. His show was completely straight-on, no frills rock and roll, playing only classic Van Halen songs, period. He sang them with gusto and his band brought the music in a most respectful and faithful-to-the-original fashion. Dave never once said the word “Van Halen” or “Eddie” or “Edward” or anything of the kind. Sammy, on the other hand, claimed that he wanted to do the tour “just to piss off Van Halen.”

Sammy’s stage set was set up to look like a mini Cabo Wabo bar, with a section for people to actually sit on the stage with the band. By 2002, Sammy’s weight had definitely caught up with him, and he was not terribly animated during the show. We were definitely blown away though when Michael Anthony appeared onstage to play with Sammy. We had absolutely no idea that he would be there. That was actually pretty cool. But if it was indeed a “match,” Dave won—by a knock out. Clearly though, Dave was upset that the fans had to settle for just the two singers and the bass player. “What the Van Halens are about is wasted time,” Dave said. “If you think one second isn’t valuable, then ask the little girl who just missed getting a gold medal at the Olympics by one second.” He continued, “If you think one month is not valuable to somebody, then ask the lady who just had a premature baby how valuable that month is. Eddie Van Halen and his sister have wasted years.” Ian Christie noted: “Crowds appeared at the ‘sans Halen’ shows waving anti-Eddie signs and mutilated cardboard Eddie cutouts.”