Van Halen bandmember defends Billie Eilish from trolls after she reveals she had no idea who they are
Singer was quizzed about a number of older artists by Jimmy Kimmel
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Your support makes all the difference.The son of guitarist Eddie Van Halen has defended Billie Eilish after she was mocked for not knowing the band, or names of any of its members.
The 17-year-old artist recently took part in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel where she was asked by the host about whether she knew a number of older singers and bands.
When Kimmel asked her to name any member of Van Halen, she asked: “Who? No, who is that?”
“I’m gonna start crying,” Kimmel announced to the audience.
Eilish’s lack of awareness was perceived as ignorance by a number of online critics, who failed to point out that Eilish was only 10 years old when Van Halen released their last album, A Different Kind of Truth, in 2012.
The band have been mostly inactive for Eilish’s teenage years, with frontman David Lee Roth suggesting the band was “finished” in recent interviews.
Now 28-year-old bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, who is one of three Van Halens in the band, has encouraged his followers to listen to Eilish’s music.
“If you haven’t heard of Billie Eilish, go check them out. She’s cool,” he tweeted. “If you haven’t heard of Van Halen, go check them out. They’re cool, too. Music is supposed to bring us together, not divide us. Listen to what you want and don’t shame others for not knowing what you like.”
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