Legendary Rock Musician, Songwriter Eddie Van Halen Dies At 65

Eddie Van Halen has passed away at the age of 65. Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of the legendary rock star, who is known for such hits as Hot for the Teacher, Runnin’ With the Devil, Jump, and On Fire, confirmed the news on social media.

Eddie Van Halen Has Died

“I can’t believe that I’m having to write this,” Wolfgang Van Halen wrote in a heart-breaking twitter post, “but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much pop.”

Van Halen was raised in Pasadena, but he was born in the Netherlands. He and his older brother, Alex, a drummer, founded the group Van Halen, which included singer David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, a bassist, in the group’s first lineup. The group took off after playing gigs at venues the Starwood and Gazzarri located in West Hollywood.

The group’s first LP, titled Van Halen hit No. 19 domestically. The group went on to have five multi-platinum albums, all reaching the top 10.

As with many groups, there was ongoing conflict between its members; with Van Halen, it was with the guitarist and Roth, who left the group after its successful 1984 tour. Van Halen went on to have more successful sales after singer Sammy Hager took Roth’s place. The group released four consecutive No. 1 albums between the years 1986 and 1995.

Roth returned to the group briefly after Hagar himself exited the band. Van Halen, the singer, battled personal and health issues throughout his life. They would, at times, affect his career. He had hip replacement surgery in 1999. A battle with cancer resulted in the surgical removal of his tongue in 2000.

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In 2007, Van Halen, the group, reunited with Roth as the frontman and Wolfgang Van Halen (whose mother is actress Valerie Bertinelli), Van Halen’s then-16-year-old son, however, the reunion was short-lived. Hagar and Anthony took part in the band’s 2007 Rock Hall of Fame induction, but Roth and the Van Halens opted not to attend.

Van Halen split from Bertinelli and 2007 after having married back in 1981, but the couple’s romance had been captured in a special — Valerie Bertinelli: In My Own Words — which aired on Reelz last summer. “What a journey! 🙏🏼 Thank you @reelzchannel and everyone who participated!” Bertinelli posted on Instagram back in July.

Van Halen, reported to be sober starting in 2008, needed surgery for diverticulitis which forced a group reunion tour in Japan in 2012 to be postponed.

Testimonies and tributes to Van Halen are popping up on social media. “My heart is broken,” tweeted Gene Simmons of KISS fame. “Eddie was not only a Guitar God, but a genuinely beautiful soul. Rest in peace, Eddie!” Bertinelli expressed her emotions with 20 broken heart emoticons. Original MTV video jockey Martha Quinn responded to the actress’s tweet by saying: “I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. I don’t know if this helps at all but the world grieves with you, of course not to your extent. God Bless.”

Eddie Van Halen is survived by his second wife, the band’s former publicist Janie Liszewski, whom he married in 2009, and his son. Entertainment Hub sends sincere condolences to Van Halen’s family and friends at this difficult time.