Greg Renoff - Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal

Many people contributed to the researching and writing of this book. Along with my extended family, I owe a special thanks to my wife, Denise Dutton, who kept the home fires burning as I worked to finish Van Halen Rising. I am fortunate that key participants in the rise of Van Halen saw the merit in this project and took the time to speak to me: thank you to Pete Angelus, Michael Anthony, Marshall Berle, Donn Landee, Ted Templeman, and Neil Zlozower. Michael Kelley generously shared his knowledge of the L.A. rock scene in the s and has been an unwavering supporter of this project. Roger Renick and Janice Pirre Francis offered me their time and their trust, and they helped me make many essential connections with key interview subjects. Debbie Imler McDermott and Kim Miller shared their priceless memories of their adventures with Van Halen. David Konow introduced me to my fantastic agent, Bob Diforio. Matt Wardlaw helped me secure an essential interview, while Nathan Hodge and D.X. Ferris helped me keep my eyes on the prize. Thanks as well to Jack David, Erin Creasey, Michael Holmes, Laura Pastore, Susannah Ames, and everyone else at ECW Press. You guys are the best.

Other individuals generously gave their time and energy to the nuts-and-bolts aspects of producing and marketing this book. Andy Harris and Gita Varaprasathan graciously housed me on my Los Angeles research trips. Jesse Fink connected me to many individuals who helped me spread the word about the book. Ruth Blatt, BJ Kramp, Marshall Poe, and Rich Zeoli gave me platforms to discuss this book long before its release. Vain Eudes provided his graphic artistry for my websites and this books cover. Jeremy Entin built my fantastic website, vanhalenrising.com. Bill Flanagan and Robert J. Stoltz fact-checked and helped edit the manuscript, saving me from many errors. Rob Heinrich patiently labored through many early drafts of my chapters. The talented Jeremy Steffen color corrected and lovingly repaired many of the images that appear in this book. Tom Broderick, Nik Browning, Douglas Guenther, Steven Rosen, and Mike Wolf shared some key source material. Doug Anderson gave me a tour of his fantastic Van Halen Museum. Lou Capoferri offered legal counsel at a key juncture. Thank you all.

I was also fortunate to have a number Van Halen fans as friends, whose emails and messages reminded me that there were many people eager to read this book. Thank you to Gibson Archer, Aaron Cutler, Kevin Dodds, Scott Faranello, Jeff Fiorentino, Allen Garber, Jeff Hausman, Cully Hamner, Heath McCoy, Josh Peters, Mark Prado, Mark Reep, Grant Richards, Cary Schiffman, and David Schnittger. Rock on, all.

A number of individuals shared their rare photographs and memorabilia and, in doing so, greatly enriched this book. My deepest thanks to Lorraine Anderson, Tom Bonawitz, Brian Box, Patti Fujii Carberry, Mary Garson, Dan Hernandez, Mike Kassis, Lynn Larson Kershner, Miles Komora, Jan Velasco Kosharek, Julian Pollack, Leslie Ward-Speers, Steve Tortomasi, Cheri Whitaker, and Elizabeth Wiley.

While conducting research for Van Halen Rising, I interviewed more than two hundred people. Those who went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me include Mark Algorri, Rusty Anderson, Vincent Carberry, Dennis Catron, George Courville, Martha Davis, John Driscoll, Bruce Fernandez, Jackie Fox, Kevin Gallagher, Tommy Girvin, Lisa Christine Glave, Tracy G. Grijalva, Carl Haasis, Leonard Haze, Eric Hensel, Bill Hermes, Terry Kilgore, Chris Koenig, Jonathan Laidig, Greg Leon, Larry Logsdon, Debbie Hannaford Lorenz, George Lynch, Matt Marquisee, Rafael Marti, William Maxwell, Mike McCarthy, Dana MacDuff, Mario Miranda, Gary Nissley, Valerie Evans Noel, Nicky Panicci, George Perez, Maria Parkinson, Jim Pewsey, Gary Putman, Joe Ramsey (RIP), Randy Rand, Janet Ross, Donny Simmons, Emmitt Siniard, Dana Spoonerow, Nancy Stout, Steve Sturgis, David Swantek, Dan Sullivan, Dennis Travis, Jack Van Furche', Terry Vilsack, and Peter Wilson. To each of you, my sincere thanks.

Most of all, I owe a thank you to those most responsible for sparking this project: Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, and Edward Van Halen. Van Halen fans hope to see you in the future, not in the pasture.