Billy Sheehan

Often called "the Eddie Van Halen of the bass," Billy Sheehan just happened to catch his big break playing with former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth. Although Eddie Van Halen gets the lion's share of credit for popularizing the two- handed tapping technique on guitar, it's been rumored that Sheehan began utilizing the same technique around the same time, albeit on his bass, resulting in a debate during the '80s (among guitar geeks, at least) as to who was the true originator. Hailing from the chilly locale of Buffalo, New York, Sheehan spent much of the '70s and early '80s as the leader of Talas, a bar band that first started by playing covers before focusing primarily on original material (that sounded quite similar to Van Halen). The Van Halen connection grew stronger when the band took Talas out on the road for a smattering of arena gigs in 1980 (despite the fact that Talas wasn't even on a major label at the time). According to Sheehan years later, Eddie Van Halen supposedly made overtures to Sheehan to replace Michael Anthony in Van Halen, but Sheehan remained in Talas. Several indie releases followed, 1980s Talas: Featuring Billy Sheehan, 1982's Sink Your Teeth into That, and 1983's Live Speed on Ice, as Sheehan began to be recognized for his exceptional bass talents in national guitar publications. Just as Talas was about to sign their much-sought-after major label contract in 1985, Sheehan received a call from his old pal, David Lee Roth, inquiring if the bassist would like to join his solo band (Roth had just exited Van Halen). Sheehan accepted, and along with guitarist Steve Vai and drummer Gregg Bissonette, David Lee Roth's band was born. Although this lineup would last for a single album (1986's Eat 'Em and Smile) and tour, the group managed to do a...