David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth, also known as Diamond Dave, (born October 10, 1954[1] in Bloomington, Indiana) is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and radio personality, best known for his work with the band Van Halen and his fast-talking, oversized personality.
Early life
David Lee Roth is the son of Nathan Roth, a prominent ophthalmologist, and Sybil Roth. Roth's Jewish grandparents emigrated to Indiana from Ukraine. Roth's uncle, Manny Roth, is an influential New York City nightclub owner and entertainment entrepreneur. Manny Roth owned the famous Cafe Wha? in the early 1960s when the likes of Bob Dylan and Bill Cosby were working there, and seven-year-old David Lee got his first taste of, and desire for, show business from the inside by hanging out at the Wha?.
Roth moved to Pasadena, California, in his teens after living in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and Bloomington, Indiana.
Roth was educated at The Webb Schools in Claremont, California and John Muir High School in Pasadena. He later attended Pasadena City College, although he did not graduate.
With Van Halen
Roth rose to prominence in the 1970s Los Angeles rock scene as the lead singer of Van Halen. In 1974 Roth rented his PA system to the brothers Edward and Alex Van Halen, and later joined their hard rock band as lead vocalist. Roth soon persuaded the Van Halen brothers to change the band's name from Rat Salade to Van Halen. (The group had also performed as Mammoth.) In the late 1970s, Van Halen developed a local following while playing the nightclubs on the Sunset Strip.
In 1978, Roth sang lead vocals on Van Halen's eponymous first album. Van Halen is considered one of rock music's greatest debuts. It quickly established the group as a commercial success, and it is credited with establishing Los Angeles as pop music's unofficial capital during the 1980s and early-1990s.
Soon after Van Halen's debut, Roth became well-known for his acrobatic showmanship and outrageous off-stage behaviour. He became a media celebrity; his ribald witticisms were frequently quoted. Establishment criticism came—the 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide said that Roth was "the most obnoxious singer in human history, an achievement notable in the face of long tradition and heavy competition"—but it had little effect. Although often noted more for physical than for technical prowess, Roth's bluesy baritone voice and distinctive screams, along with his often humorous and campy lyrics, were integral to Van Halen's sound. Roth was able to take his voice into a multi-pitched wheeze/rasp, almost like a train whistle (see Throat singing), that few can imitate successfully.
1979 to 1984 saw Van Halen release five more albums: Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down, and 1984, each to increasing popular success and critical acclaim. In 1983, Van Halen was paid $1,000,000 to play one set at the US Festival in California, and thus became one of the two highest paid bands in modern history, along with the festival's other headlining act, David Bowie. Van Halen achieved their greatest commercial success, including their first Billboard #1 single, for the song "Jump", in 1984. Soon after, tensions boiled over between Roth and his bandmates. In early 1985, while still a member Van Halen, Roth released a solo EP of off-beat standards, which became wildly popular. Singles for "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody", and "California Girls" succeeded largely due to their innovative music videos, which featured ridiculous characters created by Roth.
After Van Halen
In April 1985, Roth either quit Van Halen or was fired, according to differing reports. Reportedly, tensions broke between Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen over Van Halen's desire to incorporate keyboards, synthesizers, and power ballads into the group's sound. In his 1998 autobiography, Crazy From the Heat, Roth characterized Van Halen's music just before his 1985 departure as "morose". Reportedly, Roth wished to record an album quickly, tour, and then shoot a movie (the ill-fated Crazy From the Heat), but found his bandmates apathetic, lethargic, and drunk. Reportedly, Roth also disliked Eddie Van Halen's behavior regarding an appearance on Michael Jackson's 1983 hit "Beat It"—Van Halen did not tell Roth that he had recorded the song, for fear that Roth would prevent him from releasing it. In Crazy From The Heat, Roth writes that he approved of Van Halen's participation on "Beat It"; he believed that the Quincy Jones-produced track provided an excellent vehicle for Van Halen to showcase his talents. Differing reports persist to this day regarding the causes of Roth's departure from Van Halen. Regardless, since 1985, Roth and his former bandmates have engaged in an acrimonious (if often colorful) feud that has made headlines for decades, and has become the subject of much popular debate and speculation.
In late-1985, Roth assembled a band that many considered a supergroup, composed of guitarist Steve Vai, bass player Billy Sheehan and drummer Greg Bissonette. He later enlisted Van Halen producer Ted Templeman to produce the band's debut album. Eat'em and Smile saw Roth return to hard rock music, and met with considerable commercial success. The Eat'em and Smile Tour was one of the most successful concert tours of 1986.
Van Halen's first album with Sammy Hagar, Roth's replacement as lead vocalist, entitled 5150, met with greater commercial success than Eat'em and Smile. Van Halen titled their 1988 album OU812 (i.e. Oh, you ate one too?) to ridicule Eat 'Em And Smile.
In early 1988, Roth released Skyscraper, a more experimental album with a pop sound. Although it featured Roth's most famous original solo song, "Just Like Paradise", Skyscraper met with a more tepid commercial response than anything Roth had released previously. Soon after Skyscraper's release, Billy Sheehan left Roth's band. Following the Skyscraper Tour, Steve Vai left.
In 1991, Roth released A Little Ain't Enough, a basic hard rock album, produced by Bob Rock; it achieved RIAA gold status. Twenty-year old guitar prodigy Jason Becker played on the album, but he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease shortly before the accompanying arena tour. He was replaced by Joe Holmes. The stage for the A Little Ain't Enough Tour featured statues that spat vodka at Roth's audience, and a pair of giant inflatable legs, positioned 'spread-eagle', wearing ripped, fishnet stockings. Musical tastes changed dramatically at about 1991, with the arrival of grunge music, hence Roth's tour did not sell out many venues, as in the past.
In 1993, Roth was arrested in New York City's Washington Square Park, for buying what he once described as "$10 worth of Jamaican, bunk reefer" from an undercover police officer. The arrest made headlines, and became a late-night television punch-line. When asked by Howard Stern whether the bust was a publicity stunt, Roth said, "Howard, in New York City this small of a bust is a $35 traffic citation. It literally says 'Buick, Chevy, Other'. Your dog poops on the sidewalk it's $50. If I was looking for publicity, I would have pooped on the sidewalk."
In 1994, Roth released Your Filthy Little Mouth, an eclectic, lyrically intricate album produced by Nile Rodgers. It combined elements of rock, country, reggae, hip hop, lounge, and others; for example, it included the song "Cheating Heart Cafe", a duet with the popular country singer Travis Tritt. It did not sell well, failng to achieve gold status. Roth then began to perform at smaller venues in the US. Nevertheless, many partisan fans remained; for example, in the film Airheads released that year, people who sided with Roth in the Van Halen split were denoted as cool, whereas a character siding with Van Halen was fingered as an undercover police officer. [2] (Similarly, in 2001, the title character of the film Joe Dirt declared he was a Van Halen fan, not a "Van Hagar" fan.)
In 1995, Roth devised and performed an adult lounge act, largely in Las Vegas casinos, with a brass band that featured Nile Rodgers, Edgar Winter, and members of the Miami Sound Machine. It also featured several exotic dancers, who in Roth's words were "so sweet, I bet they shit sugar!"
Career explorations
In June 1996, Roth reunited with Van Halen for a brief time and to great public fanfare. He recorded two new songs for Van Halen's Best of Vol. 1 album, "Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic". After an infamous appearance on September 5, 1996, at the MTV Video Music Awards during which Roth and Eddie Van Halen reportedly threatened each other, Roth was passed over for Van Halen's new lead vocalist job in favor of Gary Cherone. (Cherone's previous band, Extreme, had opened for Roth in 1991).
In 1997, Roth wrote a well-received memoir, entitled Crazy From the Heat. The 359 page book was whittled down from over 1,200 pages of monologues, which were transcribed by a Harvard University graduate student, who followed Roth around for almost a year. Among the book's revelations, aside from stories about backyard parties, Van Halen, and catching malaria in Third world jungles, was the infamous "Brown M&Ms" clause written into Van Halen's early contract riders. The clause was included in contracts, but not because of ego, rather to make sure that structural stage specifications in the contract were read thoroughly and were adequately provided. Roth writes of a time when he found brown M&M's in a bowl and subsequently had a fit. In the press, he was accused of causing $85,000 worth of damage to the arena. Most of the monetary damages were due to Van Halen's staging sinking through the floor. Roth writes, "they didn't bother to look at the weight requirements or anything, and this sank through their new flooring and did eighty-thousand dollars worth of damage to the arena floor. The whole thing had to be replaced. It came out in the press that I discovered brown M&M's and did eighty-five thousand dollars' worth of damage to the backstage area. Well, who am I to get in the way of a good rumor?"
In 2001, rumors swirled that Roth and the members of Van Halen had recorded several new songs together and were in the process of attempting yet another reunion. Roth later confirmed this, but nothing became of the music. A box set was also rumored, but never materialized. Instead, Warner Bros. re-released remastered versions of all six early Van Halen studio albums.
In 2002, Roth's Heavyweights of Rock and Roll Tour with Sammy Hagar succeeded beyond expectations and revived his career somewhat. Despite this, Roth's future with Van Halen remains uncertain. The recent Van Halen/Hagar reunion indicates that Roth will not reunite with them anytime soon.
In 2003, Roth released Diamond Dave, an album of (mostly) classic rock cover songs ("If 6 Was 9", "Soul Kitchen", and a solo/big band version of "Ice Cream Man").
In 2004, he appeared on The Sopranos as a poker-playing guest of Tony Soprano, to which Roth was quoted on his website as saying, "Mom says I'm going to look like Lee Marvin in 10 years whether I'm in movies or not, so I might as well get after it!"
On July 4, 2004, Roth performed with the Boston Pops at Boston's annual Pops Goes the Fourth celebration.
According to news reports in July 2004, Roth relocated to New York City where he became an Emergency medical technician. Roth also took extensive flight training on the way to becoming a helicopter pilot.
Roth's website has stated that he is also working on the book The Tao of Dave: Rock 'n' Roll Philosophy with David Lee Roth, a follow-up to his autobiography.
On his radio program, Roth has been quoted as saying that a reunion with the original line-up of Van Halen is "inevitable; it's a matter of time."
Radio contract
On January 3, 2006, Roth began a career as a radio personality, hosting a self titled show that replaces satellite-radio-bound Howard Stern in the morning drive slot on CBS Radio stations in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and West Palm Beach. Roth stated in an October 2005 interview with Stern that his show will be political, but at the same time, not overly serious.
Initial ratings to Roth's show have proven to be poor. Many have criticized Roth's lack of talk show experience and the fact that he is trying to replace a major figure in Stern. His show has developed into a unique mix of music reviews, interviews with porn stars and strippers, political discussions, and guests from all walks of life. One of the features of his show is an in studio guitarist, Brian Young, referred to on air as "Be Young."
As of January 6, 2006, local affiliates were already in discussions with CBS Radio, to drop Roth and substitute Adam Carolla. On February 27, 2006, the Dallas affiliate, Boston affiliate and Philadelphia afilliate started airing local programming in this timeslot, rather than repeat airings of "Best of Roth" while Roth was on vacation. Neither affiliate has announced if this change will be permanent. Since the ratings were released on February 28th, many entertainment bloggers suggested Roth's hiatus may become permanent. However, on March 6th, 2006, Roth returned as scheduled, and continues to broadcast on weekday mornings. On March 8th and 9th, Roth blasted his management on the air, explaining to his audience that they had asked him to stop catering towards ethnic groups and women, and instead focus on 35 year old white males. In another turn of events, Roth seems to have patched things up with management. He announced on his March 10th show that things between him and the management have been settled "for the time being." During the week of March 27th to March 31st, Roth Radio will take its show on the road for the first time, broadcasting from Miami, Florida all week long. On Wednesday March 29,2006, Roth was taken off the air by CBS, affiliates were told to find other programming to air. Dispelling erroneous reports, Karen Mateo of CBS radio released a statement saying that David Lee Roth would return to the airwaves from New York on Friday March 31st. Upon his return to the airwaves on March 31st, the format of the show drastically changed. Many of the shows caller's expressed dislike of the new format saying that the show had lost its edge. One very astute caller aired his opinion that Dave's morning circus' tendency to laugh at unfunny one-liners was nettlesome. Many listeners agree. However, the pathetique of his new format is strangely intrigueing.
Discography
Van Halen
- Van Halen (1978)
- Van Halen II (1979)
- Women and Children First (1980)
- Fair Warning (1981)
- Diver Down (1982)
- 1984 (1984)
Solo
- Crazy from the Heat (EP, 1985)
- Eat'em and Smile (1986)
- Skyscraper (1988)
- A Little Ain't Enough (1991)
- Your Filthy Little Mouth (1994)
- The Best (1997)
- DLR Band (1998)
- Diamond Dave (2003)
Notes
- ^ Some sources incorrectly list Roth's birth year as 1955.
Bibliography
- Crazy From the Heat
External links
- Official website
- Official David Lee Roth Show Group
- Diamond DLR homepage
- David Lee Roth Forums
- David Lee Roth Dallas Radio Show Message Board
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