Steve Vai Said He Learned A Lot From David Lee Roth And His Friendship With Billy Sheehan Was Very Strong

JAKARTA - Virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai talks about his involvement in David Lee Roth's solo band, alongside former Talas bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Gregg Bissonette.

In a new interview with IndiePower.com, Vai was asked what his favorite memories are from that period.

"Yeah, there were so many. Touring, becoming a 'rock star' basically overnight by joining David Lee Roth's solo band when he left Van Halen was really shocking," Vai said.

"Each night of touring is just... Oh my God, it's such a great experience I've had. And there's a lot more. The friendship between me and Billy and Gregg is still very strong, and it's a life relationship you can't judge."

And one of the things that Vai really enjoys is learning a lot from Lee Roth. According to this guitarist who has held concerts in Indonesia, the flamboyant vocalist is an intense man.

"We used to hang out a lot and do things like hike — he really liked mountain climbing back then. So we hired a fantastic guide and we'd go and do stuff like that. I really had a lot of fun there."

Vai played with Lee Roth on the album Eat 'Em And Smile (1986) as well as its follow-up album two years later, Skyscraper.

Eat 'Em And Smile features the duo Vai and Billy Sheehan on guitar and bass. Throughout this album, the two often traded complicated skills.