Eddie Van Halen had speeding ticket cancelled... because he’s Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen
Racin' with the Devil: Eddie Van Halen (Image credit: Getty)

Eddie Van Halen has recalled how a police captain cancelled a speeding ticket – just because he was Eddie Van Halen.

The guitarist, a keen racer and owner of a Lamborghini, a Porsche, two high-performance Audis and other vehicles, was stopped after driving at 95mph in a 65mph zone.

Van Halen tells CarAndDriver.com: “Audi contacted me to test-drive the V-10 on the track. You know, just go crazy.

“So my wife Janie and I drove up in her Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG. It’s a long drive and we’re doing abuot 90, 95 in a 65.

“I get pulled over and the guy writes me up. I’m going, ‘The last thing I need is a speeding ticket for that much over the limit.’”

He later received a letter from his business office: “The patrol guy who gave me the ticket, his captain voided it.

“He said, ‘You don’t give Eddie Van Halen a ticket.’ And I had a letter to prove it.”

Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth last month said he believed the band would record another album – although he couldn’t say when.

Quiz of the Day: Van Halen

Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.