Happy Birthday David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth was born October 10, 1954 in Bloomington, Indiana. From an early age, Roth had an interest in the arts, especially film and radio, and said his first music idol was Al Jolson. Young David would often entertain at family parties in blackface, singing “Mammy”. 

Roth moved to Pasadena, California, in his teens. He “bounced around” a number of schools and saw a psychiatrist for three years. The psychiatrist wrote “lunatic” on Roth’s chart and threw him out of his office. David then attended a ranch for troubled teens, where he cared for a horse named “Prickly Pete”, to build a sense of responsibility. 

David was asked to join Van Halen because the band really needed his P.A. Van Halen eventually gained local success, becoming a regular feature at the Starwood Club. During their four-month stint there they were discovered. In 1976, Gene Simmons took note of the band and assisted them in producing their first demo tape. The tape garnered little major label attention. In early 1977, Warner Bros signed the band to a contract. 

Van Halen’s debut album released in 1978 sold millions of copies and the band went on to become one of the best selling and most influential hard rock bands of all time. David was known as an incredible showman and entertainer.  The band essentially broke up in 1984 when David left the band and they tried to replace him with Sammy Hagar, Jimmy Buffett & Gary Cherone. Roth went on to a successful solo career. But neither the band or DLR would ever match the energy of the original Van Halen. 

Roth has worked as an EMT, garbage man, dog walker and even starred as Dr Smith in a remake of “Lost in Space” at the Burt Reynold’s dinner theater in Jupiter Florida.  However, the former Van Halen front man has finally found a place to wear his tight pants again as the newest member of the US Men’s figure skating team. That’s right Diamond Dave will be representing the US in the next Olympics and Sammy Hagar will not.