Latest Release
- DEC 20, 2023
- 1 Song
- Eat 'Em and Smile · 1986
- Skyscraper · 1988
- Crazy from the Heat - EP · 1985
- Crazy from the Heat - EP · 1985
- Eat 'Em and Smile · 1986
- Eat 'Em and Smile · 1986
- A Little Ain't Enough · 1991
- Skyscraper · 1988
- Eat 'Em and Smile · 1986
- Eat 'Em and Smile · 1986
Essential Albums
- The reason David Lee Roth remains one of history’s greatest frontmen is that he was never a singer at heart — he was instead more a combination carnival barker, cabaret act, and car salesman: Roth will sell you a great show regardless of musical content. Eat ‘Em and Smile, his first solo effort, doesn’t have the blazing impact of Van Halen’s imaginative metal, but it might be more fun, and it is certainly truer to Roth’s personality. He affirms his love for lounge music with the boorish blues of “I’m Easy” and “Tobacco Road,” not to mention a showstopping rendition of Sinatra’s “That’s Life.” Yet even as Roth explores his inner crooner, Eat ‘Em and Smile still delivers the hard rock that Van Halen diehards crave. Supercharged by the best band money can buy (Steve Vai on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Gregg Bissonette on drums), songs like “Shyboy,” “Big Trouble,” and “Bump and Grind” show that Roth can more than hold his own against his former bandmates. Roth’s real home is the stage, but “Yankee Rose” and “Goin’ Crazy!” prove that Diamond Dave is as fun to listen to as he is to watch.
Artist Playlists
- Take a trip through rock ‘n' roll history with the high-flying frontman.
About David Lee Roth
Hard rock’s most flamboyant showman, David Lee Roth combined Broadway moxie and Sunset Strip energy to help rocket Van Halen to the top of the rock world in the ’70s and beyond. Born in Bloomington, IN, in 1954, Roth met Alex and Eddie Van Halen while enrolled at Pasadena City College, and the three formed the band that would become Van Halen in 1972. Their 1978 self-titled debut was an instant smash; over the next seven years they toured the world and scored hits on the pop and rock charts. Roth’s first solo release, the EP Crazy from the Heat, came out in 1985; he was then summarily fired from the band. He went on to release six solo full-lengths, reuniting with Van Halen briefly in 1996 and then off and on for tours between 2007 and 2020. Roth kept busy when not onstage as well, working as an EMT in New York City, hosting radio shows and podcasts, and posting original art on social media. In October 2021, Roth announced his retirement from music, saying he would be “throwing in the shoes” after a final solo gig in January 2022.
- HOMETOWN
- Bloomington, IN, United States
- BORN
- October 10, 1954
- GENRE
- Hard Rock