Legendary bassist Billy Sheehan, who was a member of David Lee Roth’s backing band in the late 1980s, recently shared his opinion of the original Van Halen singer’s recent live performances.
Billy Sheehan talks about David Lee Roth
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” on October 28th, Billy said: “Well, he’s still my hero. I still love him. He gave me my biggest break ever. I wouldn’t be here without him, and I love him and I love what he did in Van Halen. So I’m just kind of staying off the subject.”
Billy continued: “I know he’s having a great time. God bless him. It’s tough to see him out there. I know it’s a struggle for the lead vocals, but I still love him and care about him and he’s still one of my favorite singers and performers ever, of all time, best frontman ever. And like I said, as you get older, things aren’t the same. You can’t quite jump that high anymore, that’s for sure. So, yeah, but I wish him the best. It’s a little bit sad to see, but I know he’s enjoying himself and having a good time, making a lot of people happy.”
David Lee Roth returned to the stage on July 31, 2025, performing the third show of his new tour at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. But rather than a triumphant comeback, the night was met with overwhelming fan disappointment — especially regarding Roth’s vocal performance.
While the backing band earned praise, Roth’s vocal performance drew heavy criticism. Many attendees and described his singing as off-key and inconsistent, noting forgotten lyrics and timing issues. What was meant to be a celebratory return to the stage instead reignited debate over whether the former Van Halen frontman should have retired from live music years ago.
