Eddie Van Halen back in rehab?

A report by tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer claims that Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen checked into a San Antonio, Texas rehab clinic for a week following a backstage fight with his son and bassist, 17-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen. The situation necessitated the rescheduling of four shows on Van Halen's current U.S. tour, with the promoter stating that the shows were postponed because Eddie was undergoing "comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis" for an unspecified ailment.

But the Enquirer has a different take, with an inside source telling the paper, "It was the big what-if of the tour -- whether Eddie could stay sober. Wolf hates it when his dad drinks. He knew Eddie was drunk onstage that night, and was acting cold to him, which set Eddie off. Eddie went berserk and started yanking guitar cables from the pedal boards and throwing cigarettes around onstage. At the end of the concert, Eddie was so mad at Wolf, he punched the amp speaker, knocking it over."

Eddie's stint in rehab last year delayed the launch of the band's first tour in 22 years with original singer David Lee Roth from summer to fall 2007.

Eddie's ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, told the Edmonton Sun she spoke with her former husband last week and that he "sounded terrific."

The Van Halen trek is scheduled to resume in Charlottesville, West Virginia on Tuesday (March 11th).