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Wolfgang Van Halen is pushing back against the “nepo baby” label — a term he says oversimplifies people’s stories and erases individuality. In a candid new interview with Metal Hammer, the 34-year-old son of guitar icon Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli said that while nepotism does exist, it’s unfair to assume every child of a famous parent benefits from it.
“I’m one to talk, but I think the term ‘nepo baby’ is a bit unfair,” Wolfgang said. “It takes the individuality of the person away. People say Jack Quaid is one of the ‘good ones,’ and it’s like — who decides that?”
Wolfgang acknowledged that some people do receive “a leg up when they have no artistic merit or talent,” but insisted he’s always worked to build his own artistic identity. “All I’m trying to do is be myself and have my own integrity and voice,” he explained.
Though he began his career playing bass alongside his legendary father in Van Halen as a teenager, he said the experience wasn’t as glamorous as it appeared. “When it comes to high school, I was almost a loser,” he admitted. “When I came back from tour for senior year, people would be like, ‘Oh look! It’s the bass player for Van Halen!’”
Since the band’s retirement in 2015, Wolfgang has focused on forging his own path with his solo project Mammoth, known for its alternative-rock sound influenced by Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails rather than Van Halen’s flashy style. Mammoth’s debut album arrived in 2021, and its third record, The End, dropped October 24 to critical acclaim — earning four stars from Classic Rock.
“I’m certainly trying to forge my own legacy,” Wolfgang said. “If Mammoth ever sold out the Hollywood Bowl — the last place I played with my dad — I could die the next day and say, ‘Job well done.’”
Though he’s rarely performed Van Halen songs since his father’s passing in 2020, Wolfgang honored his dad and the late Taylor Hawkins in 2022 by performing “Hot for Teacher” and “On Fire.” As he told Metal Hammer last month, “If I messed up a Van Halen song in public, it would ruin my life.”