By 1979, Eddie Van Halen had not become a global superstar. He and Van Halen had only released two albums, Van Halen and Van Halen II. But they were already the hottest new band in rock. Eddie’s guitar style distinguished the band. It was with his mastery of tapping and distortion becoming the band’s signature sound. It was so distinct that Van Halen could hear other guitarists imitating it even in the band’s early days.
“Rick Derringer opened for us last year, and he did my exact solo,” Eddie Van Halen told Guitar Player magazine’s Jas Obrecht in 1979. “We were sitting in the bar after the show, and I just said, ‘Hey, Rick. I grew up on your behind. How are you able to do this? ‘I don’t care if you use the technique or not; just don’t play my melody.’ And he’s drunk and stupid, and he’s saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.'”
“He does my solo again the next night.” “He also finishes the set with ‘You Got Me,’ which is exactly what we do,” he added. “I hate to say it, but I just told him, ‘Hey, if you keep doing that, you’re not opening for us.'” So I kicked him off. (…) It’s fucked, you know. Because I’ve seen him plenty of times. I’ve even copied his chops way back then.”
By the end of the 1970s, Derringer had established himself as a rock and roll legend. Derringer had re-established himself as the guitarist for The Edgar Winter Group. He even scored his solo hit, ‘Rock and Roll, Hoochie Too’. It was in 1973, after leading 1960s garage rockers The McCoys straight to the top of the pop charts with the 1965 single ‘Hang on Sloopy’. Nobody knows why he felt the need to imitate Van Halen. But Derringer wasn’t alone in stealing some of Van Halen’s licks.
“And Tom Scholtz from Boston.” We played right before them – I can’t remember where – and I did my solo. “And then he suddenly does my solo,” Van Halen added. “And it was strange because it happened during the day.” I was standing onstage, and the entire audience was looking at me, wondering, ‘What’s this guy doing?’ I was inebriated. “I was enraged.”
“Tom Scholtz is a jerk. He’s a loner. He must believe he is God or something. “Tom never comes around and never says hello,” Van Halen revealed. “He never does anything.” He just kind of hides out, runs onstage, plays, and then disappears. So I approached the other guitarist (in Boston) and said, ‘Hey. Inform him that I believe he is fuc***!’ I’m not sure. I’m just raggin’ now (laughs).”
