RATT's STEPHEN PEARCY Reflects On The First Time He Met VAN HALEN

In a new interview with Metal Edge, RATT singer Stephen Pearcy reflected on the first time he met VAN HALEN. He said: "It was at the Whisky [A Go Go in West Hollywood]. I lived in San Diego, but a friend of mine kept saying, 'You gotta see this band — they're playing Gazzarri's and they're amazing.' I kept missing them at Gazzarri's, but then one time he said, 'Okay, now they're playing the Whisky. You've gotta go.' So I figured, 'Okay, well, I've seen enough of how shows work in San Diego to know that the bands go to the club early and they go in backstage…' So I drove myself up to the Whisky and I just parked around the corner, on Clark Street, and waited. And soon enough, I fucking saw Dave [Lee Roth] pull up, park and walk up the steps. And I just yelled out, 'You wanna smoke a joint?' He said, 'Yeah,' and I got in. And once I was inside, I said, 'Later! Where's Ed [Van Halen]?' [Laughs]"

He continued: "I'd go up to L.A. and see them all the time after that, and I became good friends with Ed. I'd go to the house where Ed lived with his mom, and he had a little cot and a little workspace with all his guitars. It was fucking amazing. And I'd go back to San Diego and tell people, 'There's this fucking band that's gonna blow minds!' 'Yeah, yeah, sure…' And then a year or whatever later, you know, boom!"

Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.