Brothers

Instant New York Times Bestseller

In this intimate and open account— nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read—Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music, and the American dream, in a remarkable tribute to his beloved younger brother and bandmate, Edward—maybe “Ed” but never “Eddie”—written while still mourning his untimely death.

“Undeniably emotional.”—Billboard

“Frank, funny.”—Rolling Stone

In his rough yet sweet voice, Alex Van Halen recounts the brothers’ childhood, first in the Netherlands and then in working-class Pasadena, California, with an itinerant musician father and a very proper Indonesian-born mother—a woman who was both proud and practical. He also tells tales of musical politics, infighting, and plenty of bad-boy behavior. But mostly his is a story of brotherhood, music, and enduring love.

“I was with you from day one,” Alex writes. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an eight-hundred-square-foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later, we shared the back of a tour bus, the experience of becoming successful, of becoming fathers and uncles, of alcoholism, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve.”

There has never been an accurate account of the Van Halens or their band, and Alex wants to set the record straight on Edward’s life and death.