Alexander Arthur van Halen is a Dutch-born American musician who is one of the founding members and drummer of the hard rock band Van Halen. Besides him, the band is currently comprised of his brother Eddie, nephew Wolfgang, and David Lee Roth. An Amsterdam native, Alex immigrated to the United States with his family when he was about nine years old. The son of an accomplished jazz saxophonist and clarinet player, his interest in music developed early, and he and his brother received classical piano training as children. While he initially harboured aspirations of becoming a guitarist, he later switched to be a drummer. Van Halen was formed in 1974 with Alex, Eddie, Roth, and Michael Anthony. At the height of their career, they were one of the most popular and successful rock acts in the world. They have sold over 80 million albums worldwide and won numerous accolades, including the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge’ in 1992.
