World-famous guitarist and founder of the famous rock band Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, died at 65 on Wednesday. He had been fighting cancer for a while. The guitarist had been in and out of hospital in the past year and recently underwent a round of chemotherapy, TMZ reported.
His son announced his demise on Twitter. “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,” Wolfgang Van Halen, a bass player who played with his father in the band, tweeted. “He was the best father I could ever ask for. 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.”
Eddie Van Halen is considered one of rock music’s greatest guitar players. He founded the hugely successful rock band Van Halen, named after him and his brother Alex who played the drums in the early 1970s. He has sold more than 75 million albums.
He will forever be remembered as the guitarist who ‘scared the hell out of millions of guitarists’. He refined and popularised a style of playing known as the “two-handed tap”; and his lightning-fast technique influenced countless rock guitarists in the 80s.
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020