Editing Alex Van Halen (section)

== Early life ==
Van Halen was born in [[Amsterdam]].<ref name="NewNetherland"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vhnd.com/alex-van-halen/ |title=Happy Birthday, Alex Van Halen! |date=June 17, 2013 |website=Vhnd.com |access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> The family name in Dutch is ''[[van (Dutch)|van]] Halen'' (with lower-case 'v') and is pronounced in Dutch as {{IPA|nl|vɑn ˈɦaːlə(n)|}}. His Dutch father, Jan van Halen (1920–1986), was an accomplished [[jazz]] saxophonist and clarinetist. His mother, Eugenia van Beers (1914–2005), was an [[Indo people|Indo]] ([[Eurasia|Eurasian]]) from [[Rangkasbitung]], [[Dutch East Indies]] (now Indonesia).<ref name="NewNetherland"/> Alex spent his early years in [[Nijmegen]] in the east of the Netherlands.<ref name="drummerworld">{{cite web |url=http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Alex_Van_Halen.html |title=Drummerworld: Alex van Halen |website=Drummerworld.com |access-date=December 1, 2008}}</ref> The family moved to [[Pasadena, California]], in 1962.<ref name="NewNetherland"/> The [[Dutch name | Dutch]] prefix "van" was capitalized by Alex's parents during the family's immigration<ref>Their [[surname]] did not, then, consist of just "Halen". See {{Cite journal |last1=Meszaros |first1=Rosemary |last2=Pennavaria |first2=Katherine |date=2018 |title=GovDocs to the Rescue! Debunking an Immigration Myth |issue=1 |pages=7–12 |url=https://journals.ala.org/index.php/dttp/article/view/6655/8939 |journal=DTTP: Documents to the People |volume=46 |doi=10.5860/dttp.v46i1.6655 |access-date=October 18, 2024 |language=en-US|doi-access=free }}</ref> to the US. Alex and his brother Eddie became naturalized U.S. citizens.<ref>{{cite news |last=Christopher |first=Michael |date=February 6, 2015 |title=Rock Music Menu: Eddie Van Halen set for Smithsonian talk |url=http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20150206/NEWS/150209755 |newspaper=Delaware County Daily Times |location=Upper Darby Township, PA |access-date=February 13, 2016 }}</ref>

Both brothers were trained as [[classical pianist]]s during childhood.<ref name="drumsoloartist">{{cite web |url=http://www.drumsoloartist.com/Site/Drummers2/Alex_Van_Halen.html |title=Alex Van Halen |website=Drumsoloartist.com |access-date=January 13, 2008}}</ref> Although Alex is known as a professional drummer, he began his musical aspirations as a guitarist, with his brother Eddie taking up drums.<ref name="NewNetherland"/> While Eddie was delivering newspapers to pay for his drum kit, Alex would practice playing on them. After spending some time playing Eddie's drum kit, Alex became more skilled than Eddie was as a drummer.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Wurster |first1=Jon |title=Alex Van Halen: Of Sound and Vision|magazine=Modern Drummer |date=June 2012 |volume=36 |issue=6 |pages=52–53}}</ref> After Eddie heard Alex's mastery of [[The Surfaris]] drum solo in the song "[[Wipe Out (instrumental)|Wipe Out]]", he decided to learn to play the electric guitar.<ref name="drummerworld"/> Alex was influenced by [[Budgie (band)|Budgie]] drummer [[Ray Phillips (musician)|Ray Phillips]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=110106 |title=BLABBERMOUTH.NET - Founding BUDGIE Member RAY PHILLIPS Working On Solo Debut |website=Roadrunnerrecords.com |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206055645/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=110106 |archive-date=December 6, 2008 }}</ref>

Alex, Eddie and three other boys formed their first band, calling themselves "The Broken Combs", while attending [[Hamilton Elementary School]] in Pasadena, in which Alex played [[saxophone]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Tonya|last=Mosley|authorlink=Tonya Mosley|title=Undone by the loss of his brother Eddie, Alex Van Halen looks back in a new memoir|url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/02/g-s1-40835/undone-by-the-loss-of-his-brother-eddie-alex-van-halen-looks-back-in-a-new-memoir|series=[[Fresh Air]]|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=January 2, 2025|orig-date=October 29, 2024|quote=And I think the first band we did put together was a band called The Broken Combs, which was – I played sax and Ed played piano.}}</ref> When Eddie was in the fourth grade,<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 26, 2012|title=Unearthed 1964 Photo: "The Broken Combs" Band, Featuring Eddie and Alex Van Halen|url=https://www.vhnd.com/2012/10/26/unearthed-1964-photo-the-broken-combs-band-featuring-eddie-and-alex-van-halen/|access-date=October 18, 2024|website=Van Halen News Desk|language=en-US}}</ref> they performed at lunchtime at the school.

In 1971, Van Halen graduated from [[Pasadena High School (California)|Pasadena High School]].<ref name="drummerworld" /> He then took classes in [[music theory]], scoring, composition and arranging at [[Pasadena City College]] for a short while.<ref name="drummerworld" /> While there, Alex met Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth. They formed the band Mammoth, and Alex, along with the others, left Pasadena City College.<ref name="rockhall">{{cite web |url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/van-halen/ |title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |website=Rockhall.com |access-date=January 18, 2008 }}</ref>