David Lee Roth, also known as Diamond Dave, (born October 10, 1954 in Bloomington, Indiana,) is a Jewish, American rock vocalist.
With Van Halen
Roth rose to prominence in the 1970s Los Angeles rock scene, as the lead singer of Van Halen. In 1974 Roth rented his PA system to the Edward and Alex Van Halen, and later joined their hard rock band as lead vocalist. Roth soon persuaded the Van Halen brothers to change the band's name from Rat Salade to Van Halen. In the late 1970s, Van Halen developed a local following while playing the nightclubs on the Sunset Strip.
In 1978, Roth sang lead vocals on Van Halen's eponymous first album. Van Halen is considered one of rock music's greatest debuts — it quickly established the group as a commercial success, and is credited with establishing Los Angeles as popular music's unofficial capital during the 1980s and early-1990s. Soon after Roth became well-known for his charisma, acrobatic showmanship, and outrageous off-stage behaviour; he quickly became a media celebrity, due to his sex appeal, larger-than-life persona, and ribald witticisms. Although unremarkable from a technical standpoint, Roth's bluesy baritone voice, and high-pitched screams were integral to Van Halen's sound. His lyrics were often humorous and ironic.
1979 to 1984 saw Van Halen release five albums: Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down, and 1984 — each to increasing popular success and critical acclaim. In 1983, Van Halen was a paid $1,000,000 to play one set at the US Festival in California, and thus became the highest paid band in modern history. Van Halen achieved their greatest commercial success, including their first Billboard #1 single, (for the song Jump,) in 1984. Soon after, tensions boiled over between Roth and his bandmates. In early 1985, while still a member Van Halen, Roth released a solo EP of off-beat standards, which became wildly popular. Singles for Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody, and California Girls succeeded largely due to their innovative music videos, which featured ridiculous characters created by Roth.
After Van Halen
In April 1985, Roth either quit Van Halen or was fired, according to differing reports. Thereafter Roth and his former bandmates engaged in an acrimonious (if often colorful) feud that made headlines for decades, and became the subject of much popular debate and speculation.
In late-1985, Roth assembled a band that many considered a "supergroup", composed of guitarist Steve Vai, bass player Billy Sheehan and drummer Greg Bissonette . He later enlisted Van Halen producer Ted Templeman to produce the band's debut album. Eat'em and Smile saw Roth return to hard rock music, and met with considerable commercial success. The Eat'em and Smile Tour was one of the most successful concert tours of 1986.
Van Halen's first album with Sammy Hagar, Roth's replacement as lead vocalist, entitled 5150, met with greater commercial success than Eat'em and Smile. Van Halen titled their 1988 album OU812 (i.e. Oh, you ate one too?) to ridicule Eat 'Em And Smile.
In early-1988, Roth released Skyscraper, a more experimental album, musically, with a pop sound. It met with a more tepid commercial response than anything Roth had released previously. Soon after Skyscraper's release, Billy Sheehan left Roth's band. Following the Skyscraper Tour, Steve Vai left Roth's band. Since then, Roth has been without a steady band.
After releasing two poorly selling albums in the early 1990s, in 1995, Roth devised and performed an adult lounge act, largely in Las Vegas casinos, with a brass band that featured Nile Rodgers, Edgar Winter, and members of the Miami Sound Machine.
In June, 1996, Roth reunited with Van Halen to great public fanfare. He recorded two songs with Van Halen for their Best of Vol. 1 album. After an infamous group appearance on September 5, 1996, at the MTV Video Music Awards, during which Roth and Eddie Van Halen reportedly threatened each other, Roth was passed over for Van Halen's lead vocalist job in favor of Gary Cherone.
In 1998, Roth wrote a well-received memoir, entitled Crazy From the Heat. He continued to release new music; however, it did not sell as well as before.
In 2002, Roth's Heavyweights of Rock and Roll tour with Sammy Hagar succeeded beyond expectations and revived his career somewhat. Despite this, Roth's future remains uncertain, as Hagar's recent rapprochement with Van Halen casts doubt on the "DLR Army's" hope that Roth will ever reunite with Van Halen.
On July 4, 2004, Roth performed with the Boston Pops at Boston's annual Pops Goes the Fourth celebration.
According to news reports in July 2004, Roth has relocated to New York City where he is training to become an emergency medical technician.
Roth's father, Nathan Roth, was an ophthalmologist.
Rothisms
- "I'm a family-oriented guy. I've personally started four or five this year already."
- "Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it."
- "I used to jog, but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass."
- "After all these years of bright lights, I still don't need glasses--I drink straight from the bottle."
- "The perfect woman has an IQ of 150, wants to make love until 4 in the morning, and then turns into a pizza."
- "I won't go down in history, but I will go down on your sister!"
- "I used to have a drug problem, but now I make enough money so that it's not a problem anymore."
- "I don't get all the women that I want--I get all the women that want me."
- "Young musicians are always coming up to me and asking 'how do you know when you've made it?' When you can spell 'subpoena' without thinking about it, that's when you know you've made it."
- "It's not who wants to sleep with you; it's who wants to sleep with you again."
- "Some people say that life is a cesspool of darkness and despair. Well, we in Van Halen are sailing through it on a yacht."
- "I think people want balance more than ever. You know, feed an Ethiopian, plant the rain forest, save the ozone layer--you gotta have that, "oh woe is me," as a form of self-dramatization; it's always fun. It shouldn't be replaced, but there should be a balance. Sooner or later, it's Miller time! Sooner or later, there is some hallelujah, watusi-tailgate, light-up-the-goddamn-sky-it's-finally-the-weekend! And I don't care whether you wear a cowboy hat or your hair is purple, I don't care if you have a wedding ring or a clit ring, sooner or later, there's Miller time! That doesn't mean simple belly laughs, and it doesn't mean high-brow. It just means, 'wanna go have a drink?'"
Discography
Bibliography
External links
Last updated: 08-04-2005 19:40:11
Last updated: 08-16-2005 02:56:04
