Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:

Although he's not entirely sure why his former bandmate Alex Van Halen decided to quit music altogether, bassist Michael Anthony has an idea of why that may be the case.

After Eddie Van Halen's unfortunate passing in 2020, Alex did plan to move on with the tribute act. This new band was supposedly to feature Joe Satriani on guitar, David Lee Roth on vocals, and, at one point, Jason Newsted on bass. However, now that some time has passed, it turns out that Alex doesn't feel like doing anything about it anymore and has decided to sell all of his gear at an auction.

Recently, we sat down with Michael Anthony and asked him what he thinks about Alex's decision to call it quits and sell his stuff.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Are you still in contact with Alex Van Halen? Why do you think he doesn't want to perform music anymore?

Michael Anthony: "I haven't spoken to Alex in a while, probably about a year. And I actually texted him on his birthday this month [May 2024], and I didn't hear anything back from him. But yeah, I was pretty surprised when I heard about this auction that he's going to be holding in the beginning of June. Somebody had sent me the link to it, and it appears like he's selling everything right down to his last drumstick. So, I don't know. I really couldn't tell you. I know that he continues to grieve today over Eddie's passing. And basically, Eddie was the only person that he actually ever played music with."

Read more at Ultimate-Guitar.com.

Backstage Auctions, Inc. is proud to present The Alex Van Halen Collection, their most anticipated and historical auction event of the year featuring the personal collection of legendary drummer, Alex Van Halen.

Says Backstage Auctions: "It is an unbelievable honor to represent one of the greatest rock drummers of all time and we could not be any more excited. Alex is the reason why so many people picked up a pair of drumsticks and this auction is a fantastic opportunity to see so many of his instruments and gear go to new homes. All of these pieces have a thick layer of magic “Al” dust and we can only hope that it will bring boundless joy and thrills to their future owners."

The collection features over 350 lots, with a wide array of memorabilia, such as drum kits, snare drums, kick drums, road cases, drumheads, cymbals, gongs, sticks & mallets, personal items, record awards, autographed pieces, and so much more. The auction is definitely one of those once in a lifetime opportunities for fans and collectors to own a piece of Van Halen history. Each lot sold will come with a personally signed COA from Alex, which is a collectible in itself!

“I always have pursued the best possible sound, which drove me every single day, every single album, and every single tour to be on top of my game,” comments Alex. “I hope that passing on all these pieces will inspire current and next generations to be the best they can be. Now, let’s have some fun – Van Halen style!”

Each piece featured in the auction is essentially a highlight item, but to select a few standouts, we must mention the legendary 5150 Tour kit, the 2015 Tour kit (and the last kit Alex ever used in concert), his personal collection of vintage RIAA record awards, the exceptionally rare rosewood snare drums that helped define his signature sound, the eye-catching and iconic gongs, a kick drum from the early backyard party days, and even a piano from the Van Halen family home.

The auction is a celebration of a 40-year career that saw Van Halen sell nearly 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling groups in the history of music. Alex Van Halen’s place in the pantheon of rock ’n’ roll drummers is legendary. The incredible body of work that he created alongside his brother Eddie is memorialized in Van Halen’s historic catalog of genre-defining music.

“I kept all these drums, cymbals, heads, and all other kinds of gear, instruments, and road cases in my warehouse for decades and it will bring me great pleasure to see them end up in the hands of my fans and fellow drummers,” says Alex. “A portion of the proceeds will go to the Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship charity to further support the services they provide to those in need.”  

Alex and his wife have been long time supporters of Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship. The organization's mission is to promote the welfare of at risk youth and people with any type of physical, intellectual or cognitive disability by means of equine assisted activities and therapies; and by providing instruction and education for all in equestrian-related social, vocational and recreational activities.

The auction opened up for bidding on June 1 and closes on June 9. For further details, and to preview the entire catalog now, head here.