In a new interview with Gibson TV, guitarist Jerry Cantrell reflected on his friendship with the late Eddie Van Halen, recalling that they first met when Alice in Chains supported Van Halen on their 1991 “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour.”
While Cantrell and Eddie would later become close friends, he admitted he was completely starstruck when they first met.
“The first time I met Ed Van Halen I was getting ready to go onstage [to open] for his band,” he said.
“He was standing in my pit with [his wife] Valerie [Bertinelli] right next to him and Wolfie in her arms. He’s got his guitar on, and he’s running scales like, ‘Hey, dude, what’s up?’ And I’m like, ‘Are you f*cking kidding me?’”
“I think it was probably the worst show I ever played in my life, because I could not stop thinking, ‘He’s right there!’ I couldn’t focus,” Cantrell added.
While speaking to Gibson TV in a new interview, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell discussed his friendship with the late Eddie Van Halen.
After meeting in 1991 when Alice in Chains supported Van Halen on their “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour,” the two became fast friends, often jamming together backstage before shows.
Cantrell explained that at the time he was extremely fond of the gear Eddie was using, including his then-brand-new Peavey 5150 amps and his Ernie Ball Music Man EVH signature guitars.
When Cantrell asked Eddie if he could help him purchase one at a discount, Eddie had a different idea.
“He was like, ‘F*ck that dude, I’ll just give you a guitar! Everybody gives me everything for free now, when I can totally afford it. When I couldn’t afford it, nobody would give me anything. So let me do that for you,’” Cantrell recalled Eddie saying.
At the time, Cantrell was living with Alice in Chain’s manager Kelly Curtis and his wife. When he returned home after the tour ended in mid-1992, the guitarist received a welcomed surprise from Eddie.
Recalling Curtis greeting him when he returned home, Cantrell said: “He’s like, Hey man, welcome home. You had a good tour? Now you can relax.’ Hey, by the way, do you think you could clear your sh*t out of my garage? I need to put my car in there.’”
Confused, Cantrell then asked Curtis what he meant. “He says, ‘Eddie Van Halen filled the garage with gear for you. I haven’t been able to park my car in my garage for months.’”
