Guitar legend and one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time – Eddie Van Halen has died at the age of 65. It is reported that he was suffering from cancer for a long while, and he finally succumbed.
During his final moments at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, his wife Janie and his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli were with him along with this son Wolfgang and his brother Alex.
He said he got cancer from holding guitar picks in his mouth
Eddie Van Halen’s cancer was certainly caused by the kind of lifestyle he had for decades. He would often compose and practice music while he was both drunk and high. He would spend hours in his room, drinking vodka and snorting cocaine. He was often violent, and addicted to booze, and lived like a nightcrawler.
But Eddie himself admitted:
“I didn’t drink to party. Alcohol and cocaine were private things to me. I would use them for work. The blow keeps you awake and the alcohol lowers your inhibitions. I’m sure there were musical things I would not have attempted were I not in that mental state.”
He was also a heavy smoker, but he said his cancer was caused because of holding metal picks in his mouth during live performances – which is obviously a false notion.
Eddie Van Halen was considered a guitar god for a reason
Eddie Van Halen was known among the rock community for his incredible speed, creativity, and catchy guitar playing that inspired millions. He had started the rock band “Van Halen” along with his brother Alex, and both of them propelled their band to the heights of success. Their stellar album “1984” had hit singles like “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher” which brought rock back into the mainstream and kickstarted the golden era of rock in the 1980s.
Eddie Van Halen had several accolades to his name. Apart from being routinely considered as a rock god, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and also ranked 8th in the Rolling Stone’s list of all-time great guitarists.
He could play any instrument despite not being able to read any music, although his primary instruments were guitar and piano.
Also, a lot of people don’t know this but Eddie Van Halen was an immigrant to the USA.
This is his childhood story of rising to fame
He said his earliest memories of music were banging pots and pans together, marching to John Philip Sousa marches. At one point, Eddie got a drum set, which his older brother coveted.
“I never wanted to play guitar,” he confessed at a talk at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2015. But his brother was good at the drums, so Eddie gave into his brother’s wishes: “I said, ‘Go ahead, take my drums. I’ll play your damn guitar.’”
Eddie Van Halen rose to fame with his blazing solo in Eruption, that is an unforgettable classic. Perhaps the greatest tribute to this song was given by The Minions:
He also played guitar for Michael Jackson when Michael Jackson was a nobody
The iconic guitar solo in Michael Jackson’s song “Beat It” was played by Eddie Van Halen. Eddie never asked any credit or compensation for this, he only thought he was doing it as a favour to the producer. He once said in an interview:
“It was 20 minutes of my life. I didn’t want anything for doing that. I literally thought to myself, ‘Who is possibly going to know if I play on this kid’s record?’”
But then, “Beat It” went on to become a chartbuster.
Featured Image Courtesy: Associated Press