Rock star Eddie Van Halen dies after long battle with cancer

Eddie Van Halen, 65, of the iconic hard rock group that bore his family name, has died following a long battle with cancer.

Musician Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen performs at their dress rehearsal for family and friends at the Forum on February 8, 2012 in Inglewood, California. Picture: Kevin Winter

Guitarist and songwriter Eddie Van Halen, of the iconic hard rock group that bore his family name, died on Tuesday at 65 following a long battle with throat cancer, his son announced.

“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,” Wolf Van Halen wrote in a message on Twitter.

Eddie Van Halen in 2006.

Eddie Van Halen in 1985.

“He was the best father I could ever ask for,” added the 29 year-old. “Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.

“My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”

pic.twitter.com/kQqDV7pulR

— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020

Born in the Netherlands and raised in California, Van Halen founded the rock group with his older brother Alex on drums in the 1970s and quickly earned a fan base, first with singer David Lee Roth and then Sammy Hagar, who replaced him in 1985. Roth later rejoined the band as vocalist in 2007.

The group’s classic hits include Jump, Panama and Runnin’ with the Devil, while his explosive, expressive 1978 guitar solo Eruption — which the guitarist initially played with his back to the audience, so that eagle-eyed rivals could not easily copy the extraordinary sounds he was able to coax from his instrument — inspired several generations of heavy metal and hard rock players.

“Rest In Peace, EVH,” wrote Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello on Instagram. “One of the greatest, most inventive, truly visionary musicians of all time. An unparalleled titan in the annals of rock n roll. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for every spectacular note.”

One of the guitarist’s best-known contributions to popular music was featured in Michael Jackson’s 1983 single Beat It, where Eddie Van Halen’s distinctive guitar solo introduced his singular playing to millions of pop music fans.

Australian singer-songwriter Jimmy Barnes revealed a personal connection to the hard rock musician while mourning Van Halen’s death.

I was lucky enough to meet Eddie in the mid 80s when he asked me if I was interested in joining Van Halen.
I’d just started my solo career so the timing wasn't right but still to this day, it's an honour to have been asked to play with such a legendary rock band. RIP Eddie pic.twitter.com/Q2faLXoHie

— Jimmy Barnes (@JimmyBarnes) October 6, 2020

“I was lucky enough to meet Eddie in the mid 80s when he asked me if I was interested in joining Van Halen,” wrote Barnes on Twitter. “As thrilled as I was to have been asked, I’d just started my solo career so the timing wasn’t right but still to this day, it’s an honour to have been asked to play with such a legendary guitarist and his great rock band. RIP Eddie.”

Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen performs in 2012 in Inglewood, California.

Van Halen has sold more than 75 million albums and has more No 1 hits on the mainstream US rock chart than any other artist, according to the band’s record label.

Its 12th and final album, A Different Kind of Truth — which featured Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang on bass guitar — was released in 2012 on Interscope Records, while the band’s last performance was in October 2015 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

His influence as a player spanned decades and genres, a notion captured by San Francisco heavy metal band Metallica.

“We are enormously saddened to hear about the untimely passing of Eddie Van Halen,” wrote Metallica on Twitter. “We considered him an inspiration, an idol, and after spending a summer together on the road in ‘88, a friend. Sending love to Alex, Wolf and everyone in the greater VH family.”