A few years ago, during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, we went snorkeling with a local boat captain. Despite being a Georgia Bulldog fan, he turned out to be a really nice guy. He introduced us to an old shipwreck, rekindling my love for snorkeling and underwater exploration — an experience I hadn’t enjoyed since childhood.

While jotting down ideas for this column last week, the title “Diver Down” came to mind. For context, “Diver Down” was Van Halen’s fifth studio album, which was nearly never released. After their 1981 Fair Warning Tour, the band was pressured by their label to release new music. They recorded a cover of “Pretty Woman” along with four other covers and managed to complete the album in just 12 days.

The resulting album, “Diver Down,” became a multi-platinu

See Full Page