Diamond Dave’s still got it. Nearing 70, the one time lead singer for Van Halen recently went back into the studio to cut a ‘studio live’ version of the band’s 1984 classic hit, ‘Panama’. Roth’s voice has taken on a more husky sound, more than usual. But as you’ll hear, he’s not lost his energy. Quite a few singers in his age bracket have learned they can no longer belt out their signature tunes the way they use to, so instead they adjust their voice and stay in a more comfortable register. Not Dave. He pushes it to the limit in this track for sure. And it’s worth noting he titles the video, ‘Roth Lives!’
Compare Dave’s new version to what he did back in the 80s…