Interview with Eddie Van Halen: Is Rock 'n' Roll All About Reinvention?

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HAVE A SEAT. WELL, HI, EVERYBODY. [ CHUCKLES ] THAT WAS A NICE LITTLE... HELLO? ...OPENING. IS THIS THING ON? YEAH. [ LAUGHS ] WELL, I FIRST MET EDDIE IN 2009, AND IT WAS WHEN I INTERVIEWED HIM FOR CNN. IT WAS AT HIS 5150 STUDIO, AND HE WAS ROLLING OUT A NEW GUITAR FOR HIS EVH LINE WITH FENDER.

AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY IN FOR A TREAT TONIGHT. YOU'RE GONNA GET A CHANCE TO HEAR HIS STORY AND ALSO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MAKES HIM TICK. AND AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA WANT HIM TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. [ CHUCKLES ]

[ LAUGHS ] [ LAUGHTER ] MAYBE NOT. [ LAUGHS ] WELL, THIS IS A NICE INTIMATE CROWD. YOU'RE USUALLY USED TO ARENAS. THIS IS... IT'S ABOUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE IN AN ARENA. [ LAUGHTER ] WELL, LET'S HEAD INTO THE PROGRAM. THE THEME OF TONIGHT IS ROCK 'N' ROLL AND REINVENTION

COUPLED WITH WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AN AMERICAN. AND THIS IS KIND OF YOUR STORY, TRULY. YEAH, I'D HAVE TO SAY SO. LET ME START OFF BY SAYING THAT MY FATHER WAS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, CLASSICALLY TRAINED ON CLARINET AND SAXOPHONE, AND HE TRAVELED THE WORLD MAKING MUSIC. AND HE MET MY MOTHER IN INDONESIA.

AND AFTER THE WAR -- INDONESIA USED TO BE A DUTCH PROVINCE. AND AFTER THE WAR, THEY HAD A CHOICE. EITHER REMAIN UNDER THEIR RULE OR MOVE BACK TO HOLLAND. AND THEY OPTED TO MOVE BACK TO HOLLAND, WHERE LIFE BECAME A LITTLE ROUGH BECAUSE MY MOM BECAME A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN BECAUSE SHE'S INDONESIAN. SO, HERE SHE IS,