David Lee Roth [ tickets ] ended months of rumors and speculation about his renewed involvement with Van Halen [ tickets ] by confirming on Thursday (4/19) that he did jam with the group and write new material with guitarist Edward Van Halen last summer. The singer also revealed, however, that he has not been in contact with the band since then.

Roth released a streaming-audio statement via his official website on Thursday (4/19) to address the rumors of a Van Halen-Roth reunion that have been swirling almost non-stop since the group parted ways with frontman Gary Cherone in November 1999:

"About a year ago, myself and the great Van Halen band played together once or twice and it sounded amazing. In the following several months, Edward and I--Edward Van Halen and me, David Lee Roth--created some of the most amazing, phenomenal--the hands fell off the clock, ladies and gentleman--and we wrote three astonishing tunes.

"That was last July, and since then, I haven't been up to the studio, we haven't really been in touch, and we haven't made any music. But I am holding forth, I'm in the shape of my life, and I got the high note. I'm ready to go."

Roth further insinuated that he is hopeful for a full-fledged reunion between himself and his estranged bandmates by saying that he is “positive for the future.”

Van Halen and Roth first parted ways in 1985, following a world tour in support of the group’s highly successful sixth album, “1984” (Warner Bros.). Roth subsequently embarked on a solo career, while Van Halen replaced him with Sammy Hagar.

The Hagar-fronted Van Halen went on to release four studio albums--“5150,” “OU812,” “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” and “Balance”--all of which hit No. 1 on the album chart, and a live, double-album titled “Live: Right Here Right Now.”

In 1996, Hagar and Van Halen split just months before the release of the group’s first greatest hits compilation, “Best of Volume I,” an album that featured two new tunes that the band recorded with Roth on vocals, reportedly behind Hagar’s back. The acrimonious split with Hagar came amidst a barrage of finger-pointing, with Hagar claiming that he was canned in favor of Roth, and Van Halen countering that Hagar quit.

A subsequent full-scale reunion between Van Halen and Roth was expected, but relations between the two parties fell through after Roth and guitarist Edward Van Halen got into an argument backstage at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, where the seemingly reunited group had appeared as presenters.

After cutting its ties with Roth for a second time, Van Halen recruited former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone for an ill-fated stint that produced one poorly received album--1998’s “Van Halen 3”--and a subsequent world tour. Work had begun on a second album with Cherone when Van Halen announced in November 1999 that the singer had left the group.

Since Cherone’s departure, rumors of a Van Halen-Roth reunion have surfaced frequently. The band has made no official statement about its status since the loss of its third singer, and Roth’s latest announcement is the first official confirmation of a collaboration between the two parties.