American hard rock and heavy metal band. It was formed in 1972 (initially under the name Mammoth, but changed to Van Halen in 1974 ) by the brothers Eddie [Edward] Van Halen ( b Nijmegen, Netherlands, 26 January 1955; guitar) and Alex Van Halen ( b Nijmegen, Netherlands, 8 May 1950; drums), with Michael Anthony ( b Chicago, 20 June 1955; bass). David Lee Roth ( b Bloomington, IN, 10 October 1955 ) joined as a vocalist in 1973 and continued through the band’s most influential period; he was replaced in 1985 by Sammy Hagar.
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