Van Halen singer impersonated in Canadian medical scare

July 12, 2008



Canadian police officers who thought they were saving Van Halen singer David Lee Roth's life in May have now learned that they were assisting an impostor.

On May 23, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers near Brantford, Ontario stopped a vehicle that was travelling abnormally. They discovered a driver who identified himself as "David Lee Roth" who was having medical trouble. The driver was taken to Brantford General Hospital for treatment of anaphylaxis, reportedly caused by a peanut allergy.

Following his treatment and release from hospital, the man accompanied two nurses to a local bar, Liquid Lounge, where he sung the Van Halen song "Ice Cream Man" with a local band.

But it was since determined that Roth was performing with Van Halen in New York City on the evening that the incident occurred. A statement was issued through Roth's publicist denying that he was in Ontario and that the singer is not allergic to peanuts. The OPP officers at the time of the incident did not seek identification of the impostor due to concern over the man's medical condition, but are now aware of his real identity.