Hiatus From Public (1999–2003)

Eddie recovered from his hip surgery in Nov 1999, but from 2000 to early 2004, no official statements were prefabricated by Van Halen and no penalization released. However, aggregation about members time and present trickled in. The Van Halen brothers continued writing at 5150 studios, Gary Cherone recorded an medium and toured with new band Tribe of Judah. One of the songs that Cherone had written for the scrapped second medium with Van Halen entitled "Left For Dead", would wager its lyrics set to a completely new musical arrangement with Tribe of Judah. Meanwhile, Hagar and author continued their solo careers.

In 2000, the band worked with king Lee author at 5150, writing new penalization before dropping out again. Eddie kept quiet, but prefabricated a rare appearance at the Los Angeles Police Department benevolence golf tournament during May 2001. Any band progress would hit been interrupted on Oct 15, 2001, when Eddie and his wife of 21 years, actress Valerie Bertinelli, separated (though the pair exclusive filed for divorce on December 8, 2005). In Nov 2001, suffragist claimed author had been working with the band again for a few months, but lawyers had shut it down. Strangely, suffragist later denied this. The band's record label (Warner, who had first subscribed them in 1978) dropped them this assemblage also. More positively, Eddie underwent communication for cancer and announced his recovery on Van Halen's website in May 2002.

Eddie's exclusive live performances during this period were joining Mountain to endeavor \"Never in My Life\" in August 2002 and a private audience jam at NAMM January 2003. This took place at the Peavey booth (Peavey produced Eddie's mode \"Wolfgang\" model guitar). Word quickly distribute finished the NAMM exhibit that Eddie was to endeavor at the Peavey booth, attracting a large turn of people. Eddie showed up New and drunk. When he finally appeared he was incoherent. Shortly after this, Peavey lost its license to produce the \"official\" Van Halen guitar, and Fender, which had purchased Charvel-Jackson, was awarded the license, but the bass produced was a copy of Eddie's early Strat-style guitars.
In the summer of 2002, David Lee author and Sammy Hagar teamed up in the Song For Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour (also known as the 'Sans-Halen' or 'Sam & Dave' Tour). The render tour headlining both past advance singers attracted media and audience fascination because it seemed more tall than modify a Van Halen tour with author or Hagar could be. The tour drew super crowds and featured no opening acts, author and Hagar cyclical opening as the first act during the tour. In an interview, author contrasted his personality with Hagar's, saying, "He's the kind of man you go out with to split a bottleful with a friend. I'm the kind of man you go out with if you poverty to split your someone with a bottle." Michael suffragist guested with Hagar's band, The Waboritas, numerous nowadays and sometimes modify sang advance vocals. During performances, Hagar would vexer suffragist by asking, "Do the brothers undergo you're here?". suffragist never played with Roth.
Metropolis Cherone appeared on occasion. Hagar free a springy medium (Hallelujah), featuring vocals by Mike and Gary, and a documentary DVD, Long Road to Cabo, about touring with Roth. Next, Hagar joined with Joe Satriani and Journey guitarist Neal Schon to form a side project, Planet Us, along with Michael suffragist and Deen Castronovo (also of Journey) on drums. The adornment transcribed just digit songs and played springy a few nowadays before dissolving when Hagar and suffragist rejoined Van Halen.

While the digit advance singers promoted the tour and publically claimed mutual respect, rumors of taste acrimony and mutual loathing between the digit singers swirled. The allegations were after revealed in back stage video showing author and Hagar camps maintaining strict separation.

On July 4, 2004, author performed with the Beantown Pops at Boston's period Pops Goes the Fourth celebration. Hagar remained active, emotional five albums and creating his own merchandising brand Cabo Wabo, which lends its study to his distinction of tequila, as well as his concern of cantinas. He reunited with Montrose in 2003 and 2005 for a few performances and maintained contact with Michael Anthony, ofttimes playing with him. With Van Halen inactive, suffragist worked on merchandising projects such as his mode Yamaha voice and set up a website. He became involved with the period music industry NAMM Show.

Also in this period, rumors cropped up that suffragist had been fired - despite his study being included in messages 'from the band' on their website. His official website denied the rumors, though it was after revealed that on the Van Halen III medium suffragist only transcribed three tracks, and subsequently his position became tenuous (it relied entirely on Hagar's demands that he remain in 2004). His departure was confirmed in 2006.