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Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso whose blinding speed, control and innovation propelled his band Van Halen into one of hard rock’s biggest groups has died. He was 65.
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A person close to Van Halen’s family confirmed the rocker died Tuesday due to cancer. The person was not authorized to publicly release details in advance of an official announcement.
“He was the best father I could ask for,” Van Halen’s son Wolfgang wrote in a social media post. “Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.”
With his distinct solos, Eddie Van Halen fueled the ultimate California party band and helped knock disco off the charts starting in the late 1970s with his band’s self-titled debut album and then with the blockbuster record “1984,” which contains the classics “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher.”
Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time, and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Rolling Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen at No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.-AP
Eddie Van Halen plays the final chord of 'Jump' during the Van Halen concert at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 22, 2004.
This July 14, 1984 file photo shows Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen, left, performing
Dutch-born guitarist Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen performs on August 13, 2015, in Wantagh, New York.
- In this Aug. 5, 2004 file photo, Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen performs in Phoenix, Arizona.
