# Who plays the clarinet on Van Halen’s 1981 song ‘Big Bad Bill’?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/who-plays-the-clarinet-on-van-halens-1981-song-big-bad-bill/
- Published: 2026-10-28T18:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T19:41:38+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/who-plays-clarinet-van-halen-song-big-bad-bill/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Jan Van Halen plays clarinet on the track.
- The cover appeared on 1981’s *Fair Warning*.
- The song was written in 1924.

## Summary

Van Halen’s 1981 cover of ‘Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)’ opens with a jazz clarinet solo, an unexpected sound on a hard rock album. The player was the band’s father, Jan Van Halen, whose musical background helps explain the family’s connection to the old jazz standard.

The song was written in 1924, with music by Milton Ager and lyrics by Jack Yellen, and appeared on Van Halen’s album *Fair Warning*. Jan, a jazz musician, was 60 when he played on the recording. Eddie Van Halen recalled hearing his father practise clarinet at home from his earliest memories.

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