This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: Van Halen 1986 5150 Gold Sales Award Presented to Zeke Clark With COA
Item Details: Get ready to turn it up to eleven with an absolute powerhouse of rock history, celebrating the dawn of the Sammy Hagar era with this authentic RIAA gold sales award for Van Halen's multi-platinum 1986 masterpiece, 5150. Commemorating the massive commercial success of definitive anthems like "Why Can't This Be Love," "Dreams," and "Best of Both Worlds," this coveted award is styled in the classic flower hologram configuration of the late eighties, brilliantly showcasing both the gold record and cassette formats. This piece boasts elite, inner-circle rock royalty status, officially presented to Zeke Clark, the band's legendary longtime lead guitar and amplifier technician. Measuring approximately 17 x 21 inches, this magnificent award stands as a historic monument to a bold new chapter in Van Halen history, coming straight from the personal archive of the custodian of Edward's legendary tone.
Provenance/Authenticity: Randall "Zeke" Clark is a renowned luthier and legendary guitar/amp technician who got his start in the San Francisco music scene in the 70s, working with various A-list artists until moving to LA in the 80s, where he worked for Eddie Van Halen.
From 1985 to 1993, he served as Edward Van Halen’s lead guitar and amp tech, transitioning to the crew with Sammy Hagar to maintain the band's gear through the monumental 5150, OU812, and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge eras.
Beyond his historic tenure as the custodian of Eddie's tone, Clark's elite five-decade career includes building, repairing, and maintaining specialized gear for iconic artists such as Prince, Sammy Hagar, Journey, Heart, Poison, and others. This curated selection of items offers collectors a unique and direct connection to rock history through the hands of a master craftsman who shaped the sound of guitar royalty.
This item was personally handled, vetted, and released by Zeke Clark, ensuring its authenticity and rock-history provenance. Zeke Clark utilizes an Official Personal Signature Stamp to validate and inventory documents and artifacts released directly from his private estate. This item comes with his personal ink-imprinted signature stamp on the certificate of authenticity, which serves as his legally binding, authorized mark of verification and carries the full weight of a hand-signed signature.
Released in 1986, 5150 was Van Halen's first album with Sammy Hagar, who replaced original vocalist David Lee Roth, and it became the band's first record to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, where much of it was recorded, the album leaned further into keyboards and polished melodies while keeping Eddie's guitar work at the center of the band's sound. Its success showed that Van Halen could thrive with a new frontman and began a commercially strong period that carried through the band's subsequent albums with Hagar.
Condition: The award is preserved in very good condition, presenting an exceptionally vibrant front display with common signs of wear, aging, and storage expected from a genuine music industry artifact of this magnitude. Consistent with the aging characteristics of this specific era of manufacturing, the specialized Formica frame covering has been taped down along the reverse side of the piece to stabilize its structure; however, the Formica covering across the entire right side of the frame remains loose. This standard, age-related frame wear can easily be addressed by a professional restorer or proudly left as-is to preserve its untouched, road-worn rock and roll authenticity.
SKU: RZC2127