If you've seen David Lee Roth in concert lately or caught snippets of online videos, you know he can't sing. But Roth will be the first to tell you he never could.
He tells the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, “I’ve never had any delusions about my voice. It sounds like four miles of flat road with knobby tires. Mom used to say that; in fact she said it last week. However, some people’s definition of perfect vocals might be pristine and pretty like Adam Lambert. My definition of absolutely the best vocal in the last 20 years is [sung off-key like Biz Markie]: 'Girl, you got what I need! And you say he’s just a friend.'"
Asked about Eddie Van Halen and the reports of ill health, Roth says, ”Ed, God bless him, may have a fair amount of time ahead of him, but going out on the road is an unforgiving task. It kills people... It’s been a long great trip, a long great run. But this kind of music requires the kind of energy that people in their 20s bring. You know what NFL stands for: Not For Long. It’s similar in rock."
Roth is opening for KISS on their End of the Road tour, with stops in Sioux City, Iowa tonight (Friday), Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday and St. Paul, Minnesota on Monday.