In this intimate and open accountโnothing like any rock-and-roll memoir youโve ever readโAlex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.Told with acclaimed New Yorker writer Ariel Levy Brothers is seventy-year-old drummer Alex Van Halenโs love letter to his younger brother, Edward, (Maybe โEd,โ but never โ ...Full description
In this intimate and open accountโnothing like any rock-and-roll memoir youโve ever readโAlex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.Told with acclaimed New Yorker writer Ariel Levy Brothers is seventy-year-old drummer Alex Van Halenโs love letter to his younger brother, Edward, (Maybe โEd,โ but never โEddieโ), written while still mourning his untimely death.In his rough yet sweet voice, Alex recounts the brothersโ childhood, first in the Netherlands and then in working class Pasadena, California, with an itinerant musician father and a very proper Indonesian-born motherโthe kind of mom who admonished her boys to โalways wear a suitโ no matter how famous they becameโa woman who was both proud and practical, nonchalant about taking a doggie bag from a star-studded dinner. He also shares tales of musical politics, infighting, and plenty of bad-boy behavior. But mostly his is a story of brotherhood, music, and enduring love."I was with him from day one,โ Alex writes. โWe 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 famous, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than Iโve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime."There has never been an accurate account of them or the band, and Alex wants to set the record straight on Edwardโs life and death.Brothers includes never-before-seen photos from the authorโs private archives.