Quotes from Eddie Van Halen

I have selective hearing.

A good producer brings out the best in the artist he's working with. You shouldn't be able to listen to something and say, 'So-and-so produced this album.'

I don't really know what inspires me to write the music I do, but usually, the music will set the tone for the lyrics.

I'm not a drunk anymore, but since they cut out my tongue, I sound drunk.

When I'm home on a break, I lock myself in my room and play guitar. After two or three hours, I start getting into this total meditation. It's a feeling few people experience, and that's usually when I come up with weird stuff. It just flows. I can't force myself. I don't sit down and say I've got to practice.

Obviously you have to have rhythm. If you have rhythm, then you can play anything you need. If you have rhythm and you love music, then play and play and play until you get to where you want to get. If you can pay the rent, great. If you can't, then you'd better be having fun.

I'm the one in the band that said I'm not going on tour unless we do a record.

When I was growing up and listening to bands like the Dave Clark Five, the groove was what initially got me going. I really like that funky, heavy groove.

It's always a Catch-22 situation. They hate you if you're the same, and they hate you if you're different.

I never took guitar lessons. I took classical piano lessons from the age of six when we lived in Holland.

Sometimes I just want to lick David Lee Roth in the nuts

You only have 12 notes. Do what you want with them.

I just consider myself slightly left-of-center. I'm not your average bear. I - what's the word? I'm not - normal.

I'll be making music 'til the day I die. I've done all kinds of stuff, and more is coming.

It's funny, when bands or younger musicians ask me: 'So, what does it take to make it?' Well, first explain to me what you mean by 'making it': Do you want to be a rock star or do you want music to be your livelihood?

If you want to be a rock star or just be famous, then run down the street naked, you'll make the news or something. But if you want music to be your livelihood, then play, play, play and play! And eventually you'll get to where you want to be.

I think Clapton is brilliant. He's the only one who moved me. The only one who made me want to play the guitar.

My son, Wolfgang, plays drums, guitars and bass.

Actually, if I could deliberately sit down and write a pop hit, all my songs would be pop hits! Let's put it this way. I play what I like to hear. And sometimes I like to hear something poppy, and sometimes I don't.

It's all about sound. It's that simple.

Before the operation on my left hand I wasn't able to stretch my fingers open all the way. I've never had very big hands, but I could do the splits with them. Eventually I couldn't any more. I had a twisted tendon in my little finger that prevented me from being able to stretch.

I never took guitar lessons. I took classical piano lessons from the age of six when we lived in Holland. And when we moved to America, it was just the typical thing except I was really good at it; so was my brother.

It makes me feel kind of weird, but obviously the Man Upstairs gave me something and it touches people, and I'm just so blessed.

I never dreamt of being a musician for my livelihood. I certainly never would have wanted to be in the business that I'm in, meaning the fame and the glory, the glitter, the rock star, the famous part.