RIP Eddie Van Halen…
Shocking news to report…Eddie Van Halen, the brilliant, self-taught guitarist who influenced a generation, died today of cancer. He was 65 and, according to Deadline.com, he had been having health problems for a number of years.
Deadline.com had this story, including the post from Eddie’s son and bandmate, Wolfgang Van Halen, who announced the sad news on social media:
Heartbreaking, but music fans around the world share this loss, as Van Halen was not only a brilliant Musician, but he exuded the joy that making music brings to the world.
Deadline.com goes on to report:
“Van Halen was a founding member of the band that bore his name, along with his older brother Alex Van Halen. After moving from Holland to Southern California in the early 1960s, the Dutch brothers teamed with singer David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony to create one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest groups. By 1977, the quartet was signed to Warner Bros Records, and their 1978 eponymous debut album became a breakout smash.”
I want to celebrate his life and music with two songs that sum up their greatness to me…with lead singer David Lee Roth!
Here is the song that introduced them to the world, their iconic smash hit “Runnin’ With The Devil”:
And if you want an iconic song from he band, perhaps nothing will ever top the energized, infectious anthem that was “Jump” – watch the joy on Eddie’s face as he plays:
The band went through lineup changes over the years, but they never stopped rocking, and are one of music’s greatest bands.
RIP Eddie Van Halen…a great talent…
Categories: 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I felt a little gut punch when I first saw this the other day. You’ve given him a lovely tribute, John. I saw in an interview with him some time back that he thought tongue cancer might have been linked to him keeping the metal guitar pick in his mouth. He was also a smoker but that’s not to say that’s a definite cause and effect. Another legend lost. 2020 is one cruel son of a…! x
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2020 is just a horrible year, and I wanted to share those two songs because I thought they captured him at his most joyful….thanks for commenting
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Very sad!
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So very sad…but his music will live on ..what a legacy he has left R.I.P…..a great tribute John x
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It’s funny, whenever I watched them it wasn’t David Lee Roth or later Sammy Hagar, who drew my eye. It was Eddie with that grin and those lightening fast fingers. My heart hurts.😔
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My word of the year is Jump, and this song is on high rotation on my Jump playlist. It just won’t be the same now!
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Yes, such sad news and that is such an iconic song!
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A sad loss for the music world
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so sad…he LOVED music
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it was everything to him
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Sad news indeed. Thanks for the tribute.
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Thank you for commenting…his love of music was infectious…
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I have to be honest and say I was never a fan of their music. But the news is sad, as he had a legion of fans, and was also younger than me!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wow, I grew up with this band. They were the hot stuff in the 80s. I didn’t like David Lee too much but Eddie could really play.
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I just loved how much he enjoyed playing music…always sad to see anyone die so young
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Oh, no!! I’m sad. I loved his talent.
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