Valerie Bertinelli has opened up about her initial resistance to her son Wolfgang’s music career. She revealed deep concerns rooted in her ex-husband Eddie Van Halen’s difficult experiences in the industry.
During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Bertinelli discussed how Wolfgang showed musical talent from an early age. He was constantly drawn to the instruments that filled their home. “Our house always had instruments, like there were guitars on every wall. There was a piano, there was a drum set, there was Uncle Al’s drum set at the studio, which was just walking distance away,” she explained.
“So even as a little baby, before he could walk, you can see him just constantly plucking on strings and just fascinated by what Ed was doing on the guitar. It was always in him. I ignored it for as long as I possibly could,” Bertinelli continued.
The actress admitted that her reluctance stemmed from witnessing the toll the music business took on Eddie. “Cause the business sucks. And I was afraid for my son to go into a business that tried to destroy his father. Ed was able to get through it. But it’s a really hard business,” she said candidly.
Despite her concerns, Bertinelli emphasized that Wolfgang ultimately became his own person through unconditional love. “I like to say that Wolfie is the man he is in spite of me and Ed. We made a lot of mistakes, but in the end, he always had unconditional love. The moment he was born on March 16th, 1991, I knew, ‘Oh, now I know what I’m here for,'” she reflected.
Wolfgang Van Halen’s path into music was virtually inevitable given his family environment. He grew up immersed in music, largely influenced by his father Eddie’s legendary career, as documented on Wikipedia’s Mammoth band page. The young musician became a multi-instrumentalist, proficient on guitar, bass, and drums. He would eventually showcase these skills to the world.
Eddie Van Halen himself was proud of his son’s abilities. He publicly stated that Wolfgang could play everything he did on guitar. The late guitarist believed that the “name Van Halen” would continue through his son, recognizing early on that Wolfgang possessed the talent and dedication necessary to carry on the family’s musical legacy.
Wolfgang’s professional music career began when he joined Van Halen as the band’s bassist in 2006 at just 15 years old. According to Wikipedia, he toured and recorded alongside his father and uncle Alex Van Halen. This experience helped him gain invaluable knowledge in one of rock’s most iconic bands. Wolfgang’s early exposure to professional touring and recording shaped him into a seasoned musician.
Following Eddie Van Halen’s death in 2020, Van Halen disbanded. Wolfgang transitioned his focus to Mammoth WVH, his solo project that had been developing in parallel. The name Mammoth honors one of the early names of Eddie’s band before it became Van Halen. It serves as a tribute to his father’s legacy while establishing his own artistic identity.
