Did Daryl Hall Almost Sing for Van Halen?

L-R: Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertenelli; Daryl Hall
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Forrest Anderson/Liaison; Paul Natkin/Getty Images

Honestly? We could go for this: Daryl Hall recently admitted that he was under consideration to take the open lead singer role in Van Halen.

The singer, known as one half of the best-selling duo Daryl Hall & John Oates as well as an accomplished solo vocalist in his own right, addressed the long-standing rumor in a March 11 interview with New York radio station Q104.3.

READ MORE: The Story of Van Halen's First Raucous Reunion

"Actually, yes," he said with a laugh. "I knew [Van Halen] really well. We actually shared some crew and things like that. Eddie came to a show with Valerie [Bertenelli, his then-wife]...and David [Lee Roth] had just left the band. Eddie said, 'Do you want to join Van Halen, man?' He was half-joking, but I think he was serious. I really do believe he was serious. I took it seriously."

Ultimately, Hall decided against considering it any further; Hall & Oates were arguably at the peak of their career, and Daryl was about to embark on a popular solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, in 1986. "I went, 'Meh, I think not. I think I've got my own s--t going on,'" he said. (Sammy Hagar, of course, would serve as Roth's replacement.) And if there was any room for debate, the Hall & Oates Facebook page just confirmed he wasn't kidding.

Hall, never one to ignore his muse wherever it takes him, will embark on a solo tour with longtime friend and former producer Todd Rundgren in April. His first-ever solo anthology, BeforeAfter, hits stores April 1.

READ MORE: When Hall & Oates Got Weird on 'War Babies'

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