Guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen has made a bold claim about one of rock’s most revered legends, alleging that the late Eddie Van Halen deliberately avoided him throughout the 1980s due to feeling “threatened” by his talent.
In a recent interview with Classic Rock, the Swedish shredder reflected on his rise to fame in the early-to-mid ’80s and suggested that Van Halen, despite his towering reputation, went out of his way to distance himself from Malmsteen — even while privately keeping tabs on his music.
“I never said a bad word about him,” Malmsteen clarified. “I never will. Because I think he was amazing. But I used to know a guy who worked at the grocery store where Eddie would shop, and the guy would ask him, ‘Hey, what do you think about Yngwie Malmsteen, the new Swedish kid?’ And Eddie would just say, ‘I don’t know who that is.’”
Malmsteen, whose neoclassical speed and fiery solos helped redefine guitar playing in the wake of VAN HALEN’s groundbreaking “Eruption,” broke into the U.S. scene with ALCATRAZZ in 1983 before launching a successful solo career with 1984’s Rising Force. By then, Eddie was already a certified guitar god, hailed for his innovation and showmanship. But according to Malmsteen, there was more going on behind the scenes than mutual respect.
“Meanwhile,” he continued, “Dave Roth [VAN HALEN frontman] told me that Eddie would have his ghetto blaster, playing my s**t on it all day long.”
The situation escalated to bizarre levels, Malmsteen said, recalling an awkward moment at the 1986 Grammy Awards. He had been nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, and was eager to finally meet Van Halen face-to-face.
“I go to the show – I had my tux on and everything – and I see Eddie there. I’m waving at him, trying to get his attention, and he sees me… and he runs away. He literally ran away!”
Things allegedly took an even more dramatic turn during a festival in Holland, where VAN HALEN was scheduled to headline. Malmsteen was on the same bill and saw it as the perfect opportunity to hand Eddie a copy of his concerto — a project he took deep pride in. But that meeting never happened.
“I was like, ‘Great, I finally get to meet Eddie and give him my concerto.’ But then I hear they cancelled. The excuse was that Alex Van Halen had broken his little finger or something.”
What followed, according to Malmsteen, was even more shocking: “Then I hear the promoter got a phone call from Eddie himself, who said, ‘Just to let you know, if Yngwie Malmsteen is playing, I’m not playing. And I will never f***ing play the same stage as Yngwie Malmsteen.’”
For Malmsteen, the idea that Eddie Van Halen — a player whose impact on guitar is universally recognized — could feel threatened by anyone was hard to wrap his head around.
“I’m like, ‘What?’ He obviously felt threatened. Which is crazy to me. You’re f***ing Eddie Van Halen. No one could threaten you!”
Source: metaladdicts.com
