Could This Be Magic: Van Halen Before 1978

By Elizabeth Wiley

A book, very short, about my years with Van Halen practicing in my garage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jun 4, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466929302

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© Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Wiley.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Photographs by T. Greyson Wiley

Created in the United States of America.

ISBN: 978-1-4669-2929-6 (sc)

             978-1-4669-2930-2 (e)

Trafford rev. 05/01/2012

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Contents

Introduction:

Sex

DRUGS

Rock and Roll

Fans

Afterwards:

About the Author

Disclaimer :

This is not an authorized bio. It is just my own collection and memories of the years I spent with the band.

Dedicated to all American Veterans and their families

This book, and all royalties is donated to National Homes for Heroes/Spirit Horse II for support programs and housing for Veterans, and their Families.

Introduction:

Writing about friends has been a personal conflict. What is just part of life that other people might enjoy hearing, and what is interfering in the lives of ones friends. The question has made writing this hard. There are hilarious, and hurtful things that I felt were not mine to share, so did not. I hope the band can recognize that I wanted to share their beginning ness, not their secrets.

When talking to friends about the years before Van Halen went rock ballistic and became world famous, they were our friends, and we hoped their dreams would come true, just as we hoped other friends would finish college, or athletic training and go where they wanted to go in their careers.

I think the one important thing I learned is that if you want to be friends with people who are rich and famous, be friends with your acquaintances who are dedicated and ambitious and support them in their dreams. One day, many of them will be rich and famous!

One of the hardest parts of writing this is figuring out how to write as much of what I am able to talk about without intruding on the personal lives of friends who are now rich and famous and targets of too many people butting into their private lives.

People are always asking me if it is true that Van Halen practiced in my garage. And then they want the scoop. I am writing some of it in this book.

Is this magic?

Becoming rich and famous is not magic. It takes hard work, talent, dedication and luck, luck, luck.

Or

Could it be love?

Without the love of music, and even the fans, no matter how aggravating, or pesty, or at times inconvenient, I feel rock would not happen. I feel it is love. Love of rock, and love of that mystical bond between consumer and artist.

I hope you enjoy my walk through memories of Van Halen before 1978. Was it magic, I think so, was it love, I think so. Did it turn tragic . . . . . . . .