“Make sure I’m dead!”: What Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife told Wolfgang Van Halen about any plans to make a biopic of the band
Back in their heyday, Van Halen were the poster boys of rock and roll excess. From daily pill-popping to “feel like Superman” to narcotic hallucinations of “giant penises” emerging out of walls, the group’s history certainly isn’t innocent.
However, Eddie’s ex-wife is happy with the world not knowing the full extent of the group’s exploits. Considering the upcoming Beatles movies, Valerie Bertinelli knows a Van Halen biopic will surely be in the pipeline – but she just hopes it comes out after she’s gone.
READ MORE: “When I sat and watched Eddie Van Halen play 3ft in front of me in the studio, I learned that it’s about the hands”: Billy Corgan says tone lies in the fingers
Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show, Valerie Bertinelli is adamant she doesn’t want to be involved – or even alive – if a Van Halen biopic happens. “Oh god, I hope they never do one of Van Halen,” she says [via Entertainment Weekly]. “Make sure I’m dead.”
In fact, she’s already warned her son, Wolfgang Van Halen, to avoid uprooting any Van Halen history until she’s gone. “I told Wolfie, ‘Make sure I’m dead,’” she explains.
While she is firm, she does reveal who she would like to play her. “Selena Gomez – she would be amazing,” she says. “But Selena, don’t do it! Please don’t do it!!”
The chat also sees Bertinelli reflecting on how Van Halen fans blamed her for the band’s first split in 1985. “Oh you didn’t know that I broke up Van Halen?” she jokes. “As if I had the power to break up a band!”
She notes the similarities to people believing Yoko Ono tore John Lennon away from The Beatles. “Yoko is an amazing woman,” Bertinelli notes. “She’s an artist. And she did not break up the Beatles. The Beatles had their own issues.”
Van Halen “definitely had their own issues” too, Bertinelli explains. “And it wasn’t all Ed’s fault, okay?” she says in defence of her ex-husband. “I’m just gonna put that out there. Everybody loves to blame Ed and he can’t defend himself.”
“He just wanted to write and play his music,” she concludes.
While Bertinelli hopes a Van Halen biopic isn’t made any time soon, fans can discover some of the band’s history in Alex Van Halen’s new book Brothers, which reflects on the highs and lows of Van Halen and his relationship with Eddie.
The memoir has been described as a “love letter” to Alex’s late brother, with the audiobook edition even featuring the final ever composition Alex and Eddie worked on together.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
