Autograph Tales:Van Halen

When I was a kid, Hegewisch Records was paradise. Hegewisch Records was a small record store located on South Torrence Ave. in Calumet City, IL. They had rows and rows of awesome albums and many cool tshirts, too. It was the place to go for your music needs or just to wander.
One Saturday, I was in Hegewisch Records when the manager announced that a band would be there soon to sign their debut album. The band was Van Halen and their album sold out quickly. I did manage to get a promocard and waited for the band.
None of us really knew Van Halen. We knew they were a new band and we liked the sound, but we had no idea how big they would become.
They arrived to a jam-packed Hegewisch Records. For Hegewisch Records, that probably meant about 150 people. They tried to limit everyone to one signature, but the logistics made it a little bit chaotic. You were basically forced to walk by each member anyway, so most of us got multiple signatures. I only missed getting Eddie Van Halen, but 3 out of 4 isn't bad!

A card signed by 3/4 of Van Halen in Calumet City, IL-October 1977.