Eddie Van Halen, rock guitar god, dead of throat cancer at 65
By Lauren SteussyOctober 6, 2020 | 3:38pm | Updated
Eddie Van Halen, rock guitar god, dead of throat cancer at 65 Eddie Van Halen at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 3, 1984.Ebet Roberts/Getty I Musician Eddie Van Halen has died. He was 65.
The iconic guitarist and founder of his eponymous rock band lost his battle with throat cancer. Van Halen’s son Wolfgang shared a touching memorial to his father on Tuesday, confirming the heartbreaking news.
“I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift,” said Wolfgang, 29, who was the band’s bassist since 2006.
“My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”
His wife Janie was by his side as the cancer spread throughout his body. He passed away in Santa Monica on Tuesday, according to TMZ. The rocker experienced several health difficulties over the years following his cancer diagnosis. In 2019, he was hospitalized after suffering a bad reaction to his cancer medication.
Eddie was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and came to the US in 1962. Ten years later, he and his brother formed the band along with vocalist David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony. They went on to break barriers in rock music, selling 80 million records worldwide and joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
As some of you guys know, I’m a guitar freak - love them and those who play it well. EVH is the only rock guitarist I’d put with Hendrix, there’s nobody else.
A true craftsman, innovator and although this phrase is used to often, he was a musical genius who put the fun back in rock guitar.
RIP Eddie. You did things with a guitar that drove anyone who even just dreamed of picking up a guitar crazy.
Man, I didn't see this coming.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Awesome guitarist, great band. Not to be trite, but I'm thinking of that old song "If there's a Rock 'n Roll Heaven" ... well, if there is, I'd pay good money to hear the jam session with Eddie, Jimi, and Stevie Ray. Rest in peace, Eddie. You'll be missed, but the music will live on.
Good lord, this bleep-show of a year can't end soon enough.
He did a lot of recording at his home studio and there’s probably tons of stuff in the vaults - instrumentals and the like. I’d be interested in hearing some of it someday.
Right? That's because he's cemented in our mind as that twenty-something... You hear the opening notes of Eruption and see that kid standing on stage shredding his guitar. Redefining the sound of rock and inspiring musicians for generations to come.
I don't think anybody every made absolute mastery look so ridiculously effortless.
RIP. This is sad, one of the best ever at the electric guitar. I always thought Eddie was held back by his band. They wrote some great songs, but Michael Anthony and brother Alex were not in the same league. I loved it when Eddie sat in with David Letterman's band. Can't fault the guy for wanting to play with his son, either.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
What I love most about EVH - like I feel about Hendrix - was I liked the lead work, but more so his rhythm playing, sense of swing, humour and the mere sound of his guitar.
Also, his solos usually were short, crisp and sounded so alive. Just read that he did the Beat It solo for Michael Jackson in one take.
He was a practice junkie, but also gifted in a way few musicians are.
Something about it and "Runnin' with the Devil" starting off that first album.
RIP
The other thing I was thinking (hopefully not disrespectfully too soon) was what a fantastic gathering of musicians it will be when/if they decide to do a tribute type show for him.
That’s crappy news. What a guitarist. Many hours of enjoyment to me. RIP
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
There were times that I had a hard time taking the band Van Halen seriously. They did some weird s...! There were other times I was like "Wow, that's awesome." Kind of a confusing band and I had a hard time ignoring some of the bubble gum crap they put out.
However, I never doubted how well EVH could play. Guys like lamp, who know way more than me, have already articulated how good he was and I won't tread in their territory, but I loved listening to some of his stuff.
There's not too many guitarists or bands that I liked all of the time. Just for example, Led Zeppelin was a great band and Jimmy Page was (is) a great guitarist, but I pretty much hated about 40% of Led Zep songs. They just weren't my cup of tea.
I always liked the guitar after "Have you seen Junior's grades?" on "The Cradle Will Rock".
That little part is another example of his musical imagination. Three of his instrumentals with VH stand out to me:
Spanish Fly Cathedrals Strung Out
The latter two.... I’m sure there’s an easy musical explanation for how he did those, what I admire is the mind that envisioned them in the first place. Like “how did he think of that” and why does the execution sound so effortless?
FWIW,, I watched several videos of him performing live. The man almost always had a cig lit up. I knew he was battling cancer for a while, I just didn't think he had progressed this far.
Anyway hell of a guitarist... Maybe the greatest Rock artist of his time.
RIP Eddie
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
A real talent lost. While his style wasn’t really anything I connected to musically he was definitely an innovator and legend. His legacy is cemented amongst the greats. He’ll live on through that.
RIP Eddie. My heart goes out to his friends and family. The more artists we lose from my generation, the more it makes mortality real. I was more a fan of Van Hagar than Van Halen.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I always though his ability to write songs and melodies was underappreciated. He was very good...
There will be no playoffs. Can’t play with who we have out there and compounding it with garbage playcalling and worse execution. We don’t have good skill players on offense period. Browns 20 - Bears 17.
RIP. This is sad, one of the best ever at the electric guitar. I always thought Eddie was held back by his band. They wrote some great songs, but Michael Anthony and brother Alex were not in the same league. I loved it when Eddie sat in with David Letterman's band. Can't fault the guy for wanting to play with his son, either.
I'm going to defend Alex and Michael Anthony. Alex van Halen is an awesome drummer, amd Michael Anthony has talent he never showed on stage. The band was designed to show off Eddie's guitar playing and Roth's antics on stage. Anthony was supposed to be in the backround playing single notes.
MANAGER CONFIRMS VAN HALEN INTENDED TO REUNITE WITH MICHAEL ANTHONY CHAD CHILDERS Published: October 8, 2020
There were plenty of rumors floating around in 2019 about a Van Halen tour that would reunite them with longtime bassist Michael Anthony, but then it never happened. In a new chat with Pollstar, band manager Irving Azoff confirms that the talk was legit, but that Eddie Van Halen's health altered their plans.
“We had lots of stops and starts, but there was every intention of doing a summer stadium tour (in 2019), and as the cancer moved around, [Van Halen] was physically unable to do it,” Azoff says. The manager revealed there was even talk of having major acts like Foo Fighters and Metallica appear with them in select cities, adding, “There is no doubt in my mind that it would have been massive.Anthony was with Van Halen through their most successful period, but when the band reunited with singer David Lee Roth in 2006, Eddie's son Wolfgang became the band's bassist while Anthony continued his working relationship with former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar.
Reflecting on his time with the late guitarist, Azoff stated, “You get this image of this bombastic, incredible, loud, prodigy, but personally, he had a big heart. He did a lot of things for a lot of people that nobody knows about.”
He added, “I probably can’t speak as well as others have spoken over the last 24 hours as to Ed’s musical genius, but Ed the human being, especially as he had to come to grips with being human, really shined. He was a great father.”
Azoff continued that the "rock 'n' roll life" led to some of his health complications but posited, "I’ve never seen anybody fight the fight that [Van Halen] fought over the last 10 years, fighting the cancer.”
As for the possibility of more Van Halen material, Azoff said he was unsure what might come out. “Wolf and Alex will go up to 5150, the studio in Ed’s house, but there’s been a lot of recording over the years. I can’t predict that for sure there will be anything new, but for sure they’re going to look at it,” he concludes.
Two guitars owned and played by the late Eddie Van Halen's are going up for auction.
A 2004 EVH Charvel Art Series electric guitar and a customized electric guitar Van Halen built will take the stage at “Icons & Idols Trilogy: Rock ‘N’ Roll,” Julien's Auctions announced Monday.
The event will take place Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5, live at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif..
Both guitars were hand-striped by Van Halen in the familiar style of most of his guitars dating back to the first Van Halen album in 1978. Each of the guitars is expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000.
The auction was in motion before Van Halen died from throat cancer on Oct. 6. He was 65 years old.
“As we were preparing for our annual ‘Icons & Idols: Rock and Roll’ auction lineup, we were stunned to hear the sad news of Eddie Van Halen’s passing last week,” Julien’s Auction’s president Darren Julien said in a statement. “We are honored to include at this event two of his iconic guitars from his brilliant and blazing career as one of rock’s greatest and most gifted guitar heroes.”
The auction also includes a Fender Stratocaster played, and smashed, by Kurt Cobain on Nirvana's 1994 In Utero Tour, and a crystal-studded white glove worn by Michael Jackson on the Jackson brothers' 1984 Victory Tour.
In a separate auction, fans and collectors will be able to bid on Van Halen's guitar attachment design.
According to TMZ, memorabilia collector Eric Kuck said that he previously obtained an original design that Eddie submitted to the U.S. patent office in 1985 that includes a mockup for his “musical instrument support” device that allowed him to rest a guitar on his body and play it like a keyboard with both his hands. Now, he’s planning to put it up for auction at his brother’s Tampa-area business, Carrollwood Fine Wine and Spirits.
The item contains the original detailed drawings and a certificate of authenticity. The drawings also include the late rocker’s signature to further prove they’re legitimate.
There’s no telling how much the item will go for, but given Eddie’s recent death, it's likely worth a lot more than the $800 Kuck told the outlet he paid for it 15 years ago. However, his motivation to sell is far from greed. He told TMZ that he’s hoping a member of Eddie Van Halen’s family will obtain the patent and said he is willing to work with the family on an agreement.
RIP. This is sad, one of the best ever at the electric guitar. I always thought Eddie was held back by his band. They wrote some great songs, but Michael Anthony and brother Alex were not in the same league. I loved it when Eddie sat in with David Letterman's band. Can't fault the guy for wanting to play with his son, either.
I'm going to defend Alex and Michael Anthony. Alex van Halen is an awesome drummer, amd Michael Anthony has talent he never showed on stage. The band was designed to show off Eddie's guitar playing and Roth's antics on stage. Anthony was supposed to be in the backround playing single notes.
Yeah, I'm defending them too. Alex is a fantastic drummer. Michael is an average bassist but his background vocals are a significant factor in VH's signature sound.
Van Halen’s covers-heavy set at Pasadena High School in 1975 surfaces on YouTube
By Richard Bienstock 10 hours ago
Before they were conquering arenas and stadiums across the world, or even clubs around Hollywood and Southern California, Van Halen cut their teeth rocking backyard parties and high schools.
And one of the high schools they played frequently was Pasadena High, which counted Alex and Eddie Van Halen amongst its alumni.
Now, a new bootleg has surfaced of the band performing at the high school in April 1975. And like most Van Halen boots, it’s a scorcher.
The band plays a covers-heavy set, opening with ZZ Top’s Chevrolet and a funky and fast take on Deep Purple’s Maybe I’m a Leo. There’s also Johnny Winter’s version of Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo and “an old James Gang thing,” as David Lee Roth puts it, Walk Away.
Finally, they wrap things up with an original – an embryonic version of Fools (introduced here as I Live With Fools), which would later appear on Van Halen’s third effort, 1980’s Women and Children First.
While the quality of the bootleg is spotty at times, the band is in top form throughout – Roth and Michael Anthony deliver stellar harmony vocals on Edgar Winter’s We All Had a Real Good Time, and Eddie is absolutely on fire.
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