If you’ve seen Wolfgang Van Halen perform live, you’ve probably seen him thank his dad, the late Eddie Van Halen, by pointing up to the sky. In an interview with People, Wolf shares, “The reason I do what I do is because of my dad.”
“If I didn’t or at least think about him throughout the process, I’d be doing a disservice to my existence,” Wolf says. “So I think it’s very important to establish that to thank my dad every night, every time I’m on stage. Just to thank my father and to know that he’s always there with me every night.”
Wolf also speaks about his relationship with his mother and Eddie’s ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli.
“A big thing is that she’s the only parent I have, and so I think it’s important to be close to your family and to make that time count because it doesn’t last forever,” Wolf says. “It’s very important to spend every chance you can get with your family.”
“My parents raised me,” he adds. “I wish I could spend more time with my dad, but I can’t, but I can spend time with my mom and it’s the best. She’s the best.”
You can catch Wolf live with his band Mammoth WVH touring the U.S. beginning in May.