R.I.P. Edward Van Halen Guitarist With The Band Van Halen

[DougGuy]

After a 10 year long battle with throat cancer, Eddie Van Halen has gone to be with the Lord, his cancer had spread to the brain. We will remember him for rocking the pants off a few generations of fans, he was 65 years old.

268928

I remember well when their first album came out in 1978. He had this tapping technique that nobody had done before, that let him play fast and furious, and he was just killin' it for all it was worth. The band was very good, they were prime for their time, it was a good time in America to be a kid growing up, countless legions of fans blasting VH out of cars, boom boxes, Marshall amps, they were more than a band, they were a permanent fixture on the cultural stage of the world.

As a band, they were the bomb but the music and the fans seemed to revolve around Eddie's searing guitar, many of the songs were riff oriented and written around the guitar hooks that made him unique and famous.

As a guitar player, Eddie was totally genius about how his guitars worked, what made them sound like he wanted them to sound, he would often go dumpster diving in the trash behind the music companies, one of his main guitars came from the dumpster behind Charvel, a manufacturer of bodies and necks, Seymour Duncan hand rewound the old 1950s Gibson "Patent Applied For" pickup that propelled them to stardom. Floyd Rose invented the tremolo unit that let him dive bomb the strings and come back perfectly in tune, this invention alone turned the guitar world upside down, and millions were made and used on nearly every brand of guitar made. Eddie painted all his guitars himself. Truly a one of a kind as was Jimi Hendrix and countless others before and after him, Eddie's with his heroes now.

These guys will never fade I bet. Now comes all the remasters and deluxe editions of their work.

[ascast]

we will miss him

[derek45]

You changed rock music forever

Rest in Peace Eddie

God bless you

https://i.imgur.com/40zWsQI.jpg

[BigAlofPa.]

One of my fave bands. Sad to hear of Eddies death RIP.

[smithnframe]

R.I.P. never was a fan though!

[Sig556r]

His riffs are simply amazing, even at today's standards...rest well Eddie, rock em up high

[rancher1913]

remember he was also in van hagar, after the dentists kid dropped out :p

[dangitgriff]

Mark Stone, the original bass player for Van Halen, also just died of cancer on September 26.

[richhodg66]

He was a heck of a guitarist. RIP, a shame he had to die so young and deal with cancer for so long.

[DougGuy]

His riffs are simply amazing, even at today's standards...rest well Eddie, rock em up high

You know he wrote about as many synthesizer riffs as he did guitar! He and brother Alex were both classically trained at piano.

[abunaitoo]

Wow!!!!!
Didn't know he was ill.
He was one of the best guitar players of all time.
God speed Eddie. Keep on playing up there.

[kimoleto]

Lots of remembrances from my high school years.... RIP Eddie

[white eagle]

way to early but apparently the lord needed a guitar player
and called on Eddie to serve in his band
we will miss him

[Tripplebeards]

I remember in 8th grade when puberty was hitting me hard and the hot for teacher video came out. My favorite band! Sucks he left us at such a young age. The original “where’s Waldo” was in that video. My favorite music video of all time. I believe I own ever album on a CD up to about 2000’.

[dragon813gt]

remember he was also in van hagar, after the dentists kid dropped out :p

Van Hagar had a #1 hit, Van Halen did not. Van Halen was before my time but I remember hearing it on the radio growing up. I was disinterested as a kid. Sometime around my late twenties I decided to buy their first three albums. There are some classics in there but also a lot of music that doesn’t stand the test of time. But this is usually the case w/ most bands. Assuming they actually produced some classics.

[tankgunner59]

He will be missed by millions of fans. R.I.P. Edward Van Halen.
I watched a video years ago, couldn't tell you where now, it was a series of interviews with Eddie. When he was asked about his pecking on the neck of his guitars he told a piece of his story. When he got started he couldn't afford the wahwah pedals and voice boxes etc that most guitarists used. So he experimented with his guitars for different sounds, and the neck pecking was one of the techniques he came up with. I wish I could find the interviews again, it was a very interesting interview.

[jsizemore]

Only saw them once when they backed up the Rolling Stones in '81. Evening before saw Frank Zappa when Steve Vai. That was a good rock guitar weekend.

[Ickisrulz]

Van Hagar had a #1 hit, Van Halen did not. Van Halen was before my time but I remember hearing it on the radio growing up. I was disinterested as a kid. Sometime around my late twenties I decided to buy their first three albums. There are some classics in there but also a lot of music that doesn’t stand the test of time. But this is usually the case w/ most bands. Assuming they actually produced some classics.

The song "Jump" reached #1 status, sung by DLR. By this point in Van Halen's career, they transitioned away from the hard rock sound found on the first few albums. They started wimping out.

[megasupermagnum]

Van Hagar had a #1 hit, Van Halen did not. Van Halen was before my time but I remember hearing it on the radio growing up. I was disinterested as a kid. Sometime around my late twenties I decided to buy their first three albums. There are some classics in there but also a lot of music that doesn’t stand the test of time. But this is usually the case w/ most bands. Assuming they actually produced some classics.

What? Panama, hot for teacher, ain't talkin 'bout love, runnin' with the devil, unchained, ice cream man? None of those stand the test of time? Those are just the ones off the top of my head, Van Halen has a ton of all time great's.

[Tripplebeards]

What? Panama, hot for teacher, ain't talkin 'bout love, runnin' with the devil, unchained, ice cream man? None of those stand the test of time? Those are just the ones off the top of my head, Van Halen has a ton of all time great's.

What about my big 10”?

[Thundarstick]

What about my big 10”?

Wasn't that Aerosmith?

Dance the Night Away- always makes the hair on my arms stand up!

[Pinger87]

In dedication to this absolute legend, my friend and I are going remaster some of our older songs that we performed years ago--songs in which Van Halen was a very key influence. And I think we're gonna sit down this weekend and make something new just for him.

(Edit: Should mention my favorite song....Dance the Night Away. Just incredible.)

[Tripplebeards]

Wasn't that Aerosmith?

Dance the Night Away- always makes the hair on my arms stand up!


Yep you’re right I just Googled it.

[lightman]

RIP Eddie. You will be missed.

[LinotypeIngot]

Saddened to hear it. RIP.