Instagram Billie Eilish and Van Halen
Billie Eilish was on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show at the end of November and Kimmel asked her some questions about music and musicians from 1984, when he was 17, the same age Eilish is now. Billie knew Madonna, but when Kimmel asked her if she could name a member of Van Halen, Billie answered, “Who?” Kimmel said he was going to start crying.
Fans of both Billie and Van Halen started voicing opinions about Billie not being able to name a Van Halen band member.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Billie Eilish Is a Multiple AMA Winner & Released Her First Single When She Was 14
Billie Eilish
Eilish’s first hit single was Ocean Eyes, released when she was 14, according to Discogs. Her album, “When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go,” released in March,2019, had multiple singles.
Billie is known for having a unique sound and style. Her albums are all produced by her older brother Finneas O’Connell, according to Sound On Sound.
The two grew up in Los Angeles, in, according to Sound On Sound, “a rather bohemian household.” They were schooled at home by their parents who, says Sound On Sound, were actor-musicians. The parents permitted the siblings to explore whatever they were interested in, “especially if it had an artistic dimension,” says Sound On Sound.
2. Van Halen Made Its Debut in 1974
Getty (L-R) Bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, singer David Lee Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen
Van Halen had their debut album in 1974, according to Discogs. They are probably best known for Jump! Hot for Teacher, Panama, and others. They sold 80 million albums around the world as of 2007.
Band members include guitarist Eddie Van Halen (born in the Netherlands, according to Britannica), and drummer Alex Van Halen. Former members include David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar.
Eddie and Alex Van Halen came to know music at an early age. Their father was a jazz musician, and both Eddie and Alex took classical piano lessons, as it says in Biography.com. When the family left the Netherlands for Southern California in the 1960s, Eddie and Alex Van Halen became seriously interested in rock music, according to Britannica.
3. Billie’s Fans Say Leave Her Alone
GettyBillie Eilish
Billie’s fans came to the singer’s defense on Twitter.
if billie eilish was a dude no one would care that she didn’t know who van halen was, but she’s young and a woman and successful and wears baggy clothes and defies conventional beauty standards. its like punk rock never happened you idiots
Those in the music business put things into perspective.
If you’re surprised Billie Eilish has never heard of Van Halen, I would love to ask you what music you were listening to as teenager from 40 years ago.
That’s listening to music from the 1930s when you grew up in the ’70s, and the 1940s if you grew up in the ’80s.
Calm down.
And others took the long view.
anytime i see a (artist born after 1997) doesn’t know (act who was big 40 year ago from today) & y’all go for their throats…..that’s like holding Van Halen accountable for not knowing The Four Freshmen were lol
While others on Twitter suggested that maybe each musician should cover the other’s material.
I wish Billie Eilish would cover Van Halen, and that David Lee Roth-era Van Halen could cover Billie Eilish. It would be amazing.
And others asked what was the big deal?
If you’re mad that a 17 year-old singer doesn’t know who Van Halen is, ask yourself if you could name every band that ceased to be relevant a decade before you were born. We can do quizzes and everything.
An increasing number of opinions have been Tweeted since the Kimmel interview was aired and shared.
4. Van Halen’s Fans Also Weighed In
Van Halen
On Twitter, some fans of Van Halen were outraged that Eilish didn’t know Van Halen.
Still others were more subdued.
If you don’t know who Van Halen is, you’re missing out. The bigger question regarding Van Halen is…
Roth or Hagar?
LIKE* for Roth
RT* for Hagar
The Twitter discussion kept going long after Eilish’s answer to Kimmel’s Van Halen question.
5. Wolfgang Van Halen Says Billie Eilish is Cool
Wolfgang Van Halen
To stop the spiraling intense disagreement, Van Halen band member, Wolfgang Van Halen, came to Billie Eilish’s defense.
If you haven’t heard of @billieeilish, go check her out. She’s cool. If you haven’t heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. They’re cool too.
Music is supposed to bring us together, not divide us. Listen to what you want and don’t shame others for not knowing what you like.
Wolfgang is Eddie Van Halen’s son with Valerie Bertinelli.
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