Wolfgang Van Halen shares his thoughts on the label “nepo baby,” saying that while he won’t mention anyone specifically, the term is accurate in certain cases.
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As the son of Eddie Van Halen, he understandably has a complex perspective on the term.
Wolfgang Van Halen Opens Up About the ‘Nepo Baby’ Label: “In Some Cases, It’s Accurate”
Wolfgang Van Halen has shared his perspective on the often-debated term “nepo baby.”
The Mammoth frontman and multi-instrumentalist — the only son of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli — admits he has mixed feelings about the label.
While he believes it’s “unfair” to dismiss the children of famous figures who are genuinely chasing their own creative ambitions, he also acknowledges that the criticism can be valid in some situations.
“I’m one to talk, but I think the term ‘nepo baby’ is a bit unfair,” he told Metal Hammer. “It strips away a person’s individuality. People say things like, ‘Jack Quaid is one of the good ones,’ and I just wonder — who decides that?”
He went on to add, “I’m not naming names, but sometimes it fits — especially when someone benefits from their family name without offering any real artistic value. All I want is to be myself, to create with honesty and integrity, and I hope people recognize that.”
Although Wolfgang’s musical journey began with a major boost — joining Van Halen as the band’s bassist while still a teenager — it came with its own complications.
“When I was in high school, I was basically a loser,” he recalled. “I had a tutor while touring with Van Halen in 11th grade, and when I returned for senior year, everyone kind of mocked me. They’d say, ‘Oh look, it’s the bass player for Van Halen!’ Kids can be pretty funny that way.”
Following Van Halen’s final tour and the band’s eventual halt in 2015, Wolfgang branched out to build his own musical identity. He launched Mammoth — later renamed Mammoth WVH due to trademark issues — aiming for a sound inspired more by Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails than his father’s signature style.
“My goal is to create my own legacy,” he told Hammer. “If Mammoth ever sells out the Hollywood Bowl — the last venue I played with my dad — that would be the moment I could say, ‘We made it.’ I could die the next day and feel like my mission was complete.”
Mammoth WVH’s self-titled debut dropped in 2021, and their third record, The End, was released on October 24. Classic Rock praised the album with a four-star review, writing, “The End, then, is anything but. As the saying goes, third time’s the charm.”
Since Eddie Van Halen’s passing in 2020 at age 65, Wolfgang has rarely performed his father’s music. One notable exception came in 2022, when he honored late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins with performances of “Hot for Teacher” and “On Fire.” Reflecting on those tributes, Wolfgang told Hammer last month that making a mistake on a Van Halen song in public would “ruin [his] life.”