Merrick Deneen
Staff Reporter
Last Tuesday, October 6th, Wolfgang Van Halen announced over Twitter that his father and renowned guitar player Eddie Van Halen died of lung cancer. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this”, the statement said, “but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I ever could have asked for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.”
Eddie Van Halen is responsible for revolutionizing the sound of rock and roll through three decades of an evolving genre. Eddie was born on January 26th in 1955. Him and his brother Alex Van Halen founded the band Van Halen in 1972 and by 1974 they became one of the biggest groups in rock history. Eddie was noted as a rock and roll juggernaut with his fast and aggressive guitar playing. Van Halen grew more successful well into the 80s, with songs like “Jump” and “Panama” topping the charts. Through the latter part of the decade, Van Halen switched between bassist and singers, but Eddie and Alex were sticking together through the changes. Known for his reclusiveness, Eddie battled many health problems and a history of drug abuse lead to him entering a rehab facility in 2007. Although Eddie was criticized by his band mates in interviews and on T.V. he remained extremely close with his family through his years of success and into his conflict with addiction. In addition to his close relationship with his brother, he would share his love for music with his son, Wolf Van Halen, every chance he got.
Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and it later spread to his throat. Since the diagnosis he had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany while also playing shows and making music. A trooper till the end, Eddie passed away at 65 years old.
His dedication to the craft and his love for his family will always be remembered and his memory will live on in his music.
Image Credit: foxnews.com
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