David Lee Roth said he contributed most of the ideas that made Van Halen what they were.
When the musician was asked if he got permission from the Van Halen brothers on whether or not he could perform the band’s songs in his upcoming Vegas residency, the singer said, “No. I wrote the songs. I wrote every word you heard, every syllable, every melody.” He told St. Louis radio station KSHE 95, “I structured out even the guitar solos on that first album. Why do you think the solos [later] changed so radically? I sang the solos for ‘Jamie’s Cryin” and ‘Runnin’ With the Devil.’â
Roth also claimed to have named the band. “I’m the one who said, ‘Call it Van Halen.â”
Listen to the interview below.