Eddie Van Halen Gone at age 65
Original image found at Vulture.com
Today’s sad and shocking news was hard to read. I first saw the news via Sammy Hagar’s Instagram post about an hour after Wolfie’s tweet was posted and was gutted.
From The Beginning
My first experience with Van Halen was buying the 8-Track of their debut album in 1978. Yes, you read that right… 8-Track – where the song “Little Dreamer” was split between tracks. “Van Halen II”, “Women and Children First” and “Fair Warning” were all purchased and played to death.
1982 brought an album of covers “Diver Down” and a tour, which ended up being my first concert
Many years later and two lead singer changes [yes, I was a Sammy fan all the way – sadly never saw a live show with Sammy], I stayed a fan, through all of the infighting and even David Lee Roth making a couple of comebacks, including a 2015 tour, which I saw on their stop in Utah.
Eddie was king and master of the guitar, reinventing how the instrument was played. I recently watched a YouTube video of Eddie being interviewed and part of a Q&A session and it was so worth the almost hour. Eddie was so down to earth and grateful to his father.
So today, as he lost his battle fighting multiple forms of cancer, I say goodbye to one of the greatest guitar players ever in the history of music. RIP Edward Van Halen.
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This one was a kick in the balls and hit harder than some others.
Growing up in England their music didn’t get a lot of mainstream radio play when I was real young (well, that I recall). So I missed the Roth era. My first exposure was the video of Why Can’t This Be Love on Top Of The Pops. “Who are these guys from America? This song is fantastic”. I used my allowance to buy that on 7″ single. Had Get Up as the b-side. Wore it out. 5150 is such a good album.
So while the Hagar era has a special place in my heart because it’s how I got into them, I also love the Roth era. My ex-wife was a huge Roth era fan so I heard those albums plenty. Ain’t Talking’ ’bout Love still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
What a talent Eddie was. Sorely missed.
Awesome story on your into to Eddie Van Halen and Van Halen.
This one gutted me as well. Been listening since right around the time 1984 was released. But became a junkie with OU812. Stayed that way through many years. Gutted is a good word right now.
I like your mention of OU812 as I recall several of your blog posts that mention that album and your embrace of the Van Hagar era.