Billy Sheehan recalls what he learned with Van Halen and Roth

The virtuoso bassist Billy Sheehan was born in Buffalo, New York back in 1953 and started his musical career in 1970. He first gained notoriety as a member of Talas and later on being part of David Lee Roth‘s solo career and Mr. Big. Since then he was part of many supergroups and became one of the most influential bass players of all time.

He had the chance to work with David Lee Roth, play many Van Halen songs during that tour, but a few years before Talas was VH’s opening act. In an interview with Marty5150 (Blabbermouth), the musician talked about what he learned touring with Van Halen and then being part of Roth’s band.

Billy Sheehan recalls what he learned with Van Halen and Roth

“I feel I have the equivalent of a PhD in Show Biz 101 because of Dave. I had the good fortune of touring with him in 1980, opening up for Van Halen with my band Talas, and that’s where we first saw this machine in action. And it was like a military operation. It was incredible. And so I learned a lot about how you present yourselves and present songs and how you get the show on the road.”

“It would be hard for me to list all the positive things I learned from that experience ’cause there are many. My successes after the ‘Eat ‘Em And Smile’ situation, a lot of ’em were due to what I knew to watch out for in the music business because I knew Dave. So it was a helpful thing,” David Lee Roth said.

Sheehan played with all the members Van Halen had after the first album

Sheehan recalled in an interview with Breaking Absolutes in 2021 that he had the chance to play with every member of every Van Halen era.

“He came in with Eddie Trunk in front of the whole camp. He was doing interviews, and Sammy was one of the guys in my band that I’m counseling. Raises his hand, I didn’t know he’s gonna do this, he goes to Sammy, ‘Sammy, why don’t you get the Billy Sheehan up here to play?’”

“So Sammy goes, ‘Yeah, sure, come on.’ Holy cow, bucket list! And we get up, he goes, ‘Well, what Montrose songs do you know?’ And I go, ‘All of them.’ We did ‘Space Station #5’ and it was amazing, I loved that first Montrose record so much. So at that point, I would actually become the only guy who ever played with every member of Van Halen. I’ve played with Mike, Al, and Ed, played with Dave, played with Gary Cherone, played with Sammy…”

He continued:

“Then Wolfie, I didn’t actually play music with but one time on a flight home from benefit show I did along with Van Halen, he picked up his son on the way and he wanted to sleep on a flight home, so I played with his son.”

“I got some paper and we were doing number games, and drawing animals, and things like that. Ed was sleeping, he wakes up, looking over and he goes, ‘Yeah, you’d make a good father.’ ‘Ed, go back to sleep, we’re good.’ So technically, I played with Wolfie. So now I played with every member, I’m very honored,” Billy Sheehan said.