 Out
of all the members who passed through the Van Halen ranks over the years,
the one who has received the least amount of publicity and recognition
(for either his playing or off-stage antics) is bassist Michael Anthony.
But along with
Eddie and Alex Van Halen, Anthony has been the only
other band member to appear on every single Van Halen album. Born on June
20, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, Anthony inherited his interest in music
from his father, a trumpet player. As a youngster, Anthony had picked up
the trumpet himself, before discovering rock & roll and switching to
guitar, and later, bass. Upon relocating to California with his family,
Anthony began playing in a variety of local rock bands. The early '70s saw
Anthony play in a trio called Snake, for which Anthony also doubled on
lead vocals. It was during this time that Anthony attended Pasadena City
College, and it was in a music theory class that he met drummer Alex Van
Halen, who along with his brother, guitarist Eddie, played in a band
called Mammoth. The brothers began to borrow Anthony's PA for gigs, and
soon after, invited Anthony to join their group; they had already enlisted
a charismatic singer by the name of David Lee Roth. Although Anthony's
days as a lead singer were over, he was responsible for all of the group's
impressive backing and harmo.jpg) ny
vocals (which many mistakenly assumed was Eddie's over the years). After
several years of playing the Sunset Strip, the quartet, then known as Van
Halen, signed a deal with Warner Bros., and quickly became one of the
world's top hard rock bands. Unlike Eddie, Anthony's playing style was
basic and unflashy, but the guitarist often praised Anthony for his
ability to keep things simple and hold down the groove (while Eddie
shredded away). A string of classic releases with Roth followed throughout
the late '70s and early '80s -- 1978's Van Halen, 1979's Van Halen II,
1980s Women and Children First, 1981's Fair Warning, 1982's Diver Down,
and 1984's 1984 -- but although it appeared on-stage and in interviews
that the band members got along, this didn't prove to be the case. Roth
exited the group in 1985, and was replaced soon after with Sammy Hagar.
The Hagar version of Van Halen remained a major force, resulting in such
further hit recordings as 1986's 5150, 1988's OU812, 1991's For Unlawful
Carnal Knowledge, and 1995's Balance, before it was time for a new
frontman switch. It initially appeared as though Roth was back in the
saddle, but ex-Extreme frontman Gary Cherone got the nod, resulting the
disastrous 1998 release, Van Halen III. Mercifully, Cherone only lasted
for a single release before being ousted. With the future of Van Halen in
doubt, Anthony kept himself busy by gigging sporadically with ex-bandmate
Hagar, and appearing on such Hagar releases as 2003's Live Hallelujah.
Whether Anthony will ever get the chance to appear on another new Van
Halen album is uncertain, but regardless, he was a part of one of rock's
all-time greats. |