http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/aussie-rock-legend-jimmy-barnes-tells-he-nearly-ended-it-all/news-story/9a9705595162b2ce4fffd40f417aa641

Van Halen
When Barnes quit Cold Chisel and they completed their Last Stand farewell tour, he launched straight into his solo career and landed at No. 1 with debut album Bodyswerve.
Determined to have a shot at the American market, he signed a record deal there and went to Los Angeles to record his second album For The Working Class Man.
As he finished the album, he received an offer many rockers would have found too hard to refuse.
“During that period I was asked to join Deep Purple, Van Halen and Little Feat, all within a few months, I was the flavour of the month,” he said.
“I came back from the studio on the final day and Jane was waiting to go to the shops to buy some things on our last day there and told me to look after Mahalia and EJ.
“As she left she says ‘By the way, Eddie Van Halen rang for you’.
“So I call him back and he asks me to come over to his house because he wanted to ask me something.
“I explained I couldn’t leave the house because I was babysitting, and half an hour later, there’s a knock at the door and these two guys come in very worried-looking and Eddie says they’re looking for a singer, David Lee Roth had left the band.
“I told him I didn’t really want to join another band, I was just starting my solo career and I’d like it see that through. But I was really flattered, I really like Van Halen.
“I got word when Sammy Hagar left the last time they were trying to get hold of me again.”

I’m glad he didn’t join Van Halen.

KISSMAD: I’m glad he didn’t join Van Halen.

me too

Me three X a million.

The only cool thing about it if he did is that they would of toured Australia more and that I would of went to the same high school as Van Halen’s singer…

Hmmm, he sang Good Time Tonight, right? Might not have been so bad…

Gilligan: Hmmm, he sang Good Time Tonight, right?Might not have been so bad…

He sung “Good Times” with INXS.

I’m tired of people claiming they were once asked to join Van Halen. Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t, why are they talking about it now. Seems like a lot of self promotion.

By-the-way, back in 1978 … I wasn’t asked to join Van Halen. Someone please write about me! Someone please pay attention to me! I’m a big deal too!

The year was 1978. Van Halen was coming off their multi-year backyards & bars tour, and had recently been signed to the Warner Bros record label. Pairing the new group with veterans Journey and Montrose, their first world tour kicked off in the midwest. Sure, they had been relegated to an opening slot where they were forced to use the other acts production equipment, but they were bound and determined to make the best of it, and make sure everyone that came to see them went home with a certain “wow” factor.

But things weren’t all bees and honey. Those first couple of nights were rough, and the boys weren’t getting along. It was hard being together 24/7. From the stage to the smallest dressing room, to the bus, on to the next city, rinse wash and repeat. They were getting on each others nerves, and the dynamic was strained. They didn’t let it show on stage though. Those 60 minutes each night were near perfection. But once the lights came up and the stage was being reset for the next act, things were tense.

The brothers (Edward and Alex) decided they needed to reach out and possibly make a change. So they asked around, and when they got to Wisconsin, one of the names to come to their attention was FrankM. Who is FrankM you ask? He’s a rock’n'roller, and overall great guy. The brothers were interested. They asked their manager to bring FrankM to them for a meeting. But FrankM wasn’t answering the phone, and no-one answered repeated knocks on his door. Where was FrankM? No-one seemed to know, and this is where our story ends. FrankM was on the cusp of possibly something big, but the band had a schedule to keep and couldn’t wait on him.

Ultimately the boys in Van Halen smoothed things over, and were able to continue for the next 5 or 6 years, dominating the rock scene in each town they visited.

frankm: I’m tired of people claiming they were once asked to join Van Halen. Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t, why are they talking about it now. Seems like a lot of self promotion.

By-the-way, back in 1978 … I wasn’t asked to join Van Halen. Someone please write about me! Someone please pay attention to me! I’m a big deal too!

Because he has a new book out. Nothing wrong with self-promotion.

Hmmm, didn’t FrankM have a modest hit in 1979 with “Call Me, Eddie, I’m Kind of a Big Deal”?

Ron, that was really funny … I laughed out loud

Gilligan, it WASN’T a modest hit … it was a HUGE hit … I’m kinda a big deal don’t ya know.

ron: The year was 1978.Van Halen was coming off their multi-year backyards & bars tour, and had recently been signed to the Warner Bros record label.Pairing the new group with veterans Journey and Montrose, their first world tour kicked off in the midwest.Sure, they had been relegated to an opening slot where they were forced to use the other acts production equipment, but they were bound and determined to make the best of it, and make sure everyone that came to see them went home with a certain “wow” factor.

But things weren’t all bees and honey.Those first couple of nights were rough, and the boys weren’t getting along.It was hard being together 24/7.From the stage to the smallest dressing room, to the bus, on to the next city, rinse wash and repeat.They were getting on each others nerves, and the dynamic was strained.They didn’t let it show on stage though.Those 60 minutes each night were near perfection.But once the lights came up and the stage was being reset for the next act, things were tense.

The brothers (Edward and Alex) decided they needed to reach out and possibly make a change.So they asked around, and when they got to Wisconsin, one of the names to come to their attention was FrankM.Who is FrankM you ask?He’s a rock’n’roller, and overall great guy.The brothers were interested.They asked their manager to bring FrankM to them for a meeting.But FrankM wasn’t answering the phone, and no-one answered repeated knocks on his door.Where was FrankM?No-one seemed to know, and this is where our story ends.FrankM was on the cusp of possibly something big, but the band had a schedule to keep and couldn’t wait on him.

Ultimately the boys in Van Halen smoothed things over, and were able to continue for the next 5 or 6 years, dominating the rock scene in each town they visited.

That was awesomely funny!