The guitarist John 5 has a long career, having worked with some of the most successful artists in the music business and was lucky enough to have become a good friend of the late legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen. He curiously has worked before with Eddie’s bandmate David Lee Roth, on his “DLR Band” (1998) and “Diamond Dave” (2003) records. He talked about his friendship with Eddie Thinking About Guitar, recalling how nice the musician was.
John 5 talks about his friendship with Eddie Van Halen
“Eddie would call me and we’d just talk about guitars, about guitarists, about music, about his family and everything else. It was so cool. I’m just remembering how special it was. It was so much fun doing that. And yeah, he gave me a guitar. He gave me one of his heads. It was such a special moment, you know? We’d spend hours on the phone.”
“And I’ll never forget it, I was on tour with Zombie, and he called me. He said, ‘Hey, man, I want you to come to my birthday party. It’s going to be at my house.’ And it broke my heart that I couldn’t go. It broke my heart. I just couldn’t – I was on the road and I couldn’t get there. So, yeah, he was a very, very special friend to me. I loved him. But the world loves him, and it’s a horrible thing that he’s no longer with us,” John 5 said (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar).
Since 2022, John 5 has been a member of Mötley Crüe and also focused on his solo career. His most recent album is “Ghost”, released in 2025. Over the years he has worked with Rob Zombie, Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper, Sebastian Bach, Ace Frehley, Marilyn Manson, Peter Criss and Steve Perry.
Next John 5 tour dates
October
11 – Exeter Phoenix – Exeter – United Kingdom
12 – The 1865 – Southampton – United Kingdom
13 – Thekla – Bristol – United Kingdom
14 – KK’s Steel Mill – Wolverhampton – United Kingdom
15 – The Live Rooms – Chester – United Kingdom
16 – Newcastle University Students’ Union – Newcastle upon Tyne – United Kingdom
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