DAVID LEE ROTH Files Request To Have His Lawsuit Against VAN HALEN Dismissed

October 3, 2003

Former VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth's lawsuit against the band over unpaid royalties has been dismissed "without prejudice" at the request of the singer, according to the case information available on the web site of the Los Angeles Superior Court (case number: BC286832). Roth filed his suit on December 11, 2002, claiming the group didn't include him in a 1996 renegotiation of its contract with Warner Brothers Records.

"If you buy 'Van Halen I' now, if I make 10 cents, the bass player (Michael Anthony) makes 30 cents," he said shortly after the news of the lawsuit was made public. "And if I make a hundred dollars, the drummer (Alex Van Halen) will make close to three hundred dollars. And I've always maintained since I wrote all the words, and all the lyrics, and all of the harmonies, and structured the tunes, designed most of the album covers — and when MTV happened for everybody, I wrote and directed the videos — with all of that, I should make 25 percent. What do you think?"

Roth, who reportedly claimed that the new deal caused him to lose out on a total of at least $200,000 as of the end of 2001, handled vocal and lyric-writing duties for VAN HALEN from the band's inception through the mid-1980s, when he left to pursue a solo career.

Roth returned to record two new tracks with the band in 1996, but a much-rumored reunion tour never materialized.

David was recently forced to cancel the rest of his North American tour because of a martial arts accident during a performance. He is expected to resume touring in November, with dates in the U.K. currently being finalized.

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