Eddie Van Halen

{{Infobox person

| name = Eddie Van Halen

| image = Eddie Van Halen at the New Haven Coliseum.jpg

| caption = Van Halen performing at the New Haven Coliseum in 1978

| birth_name = Edward Lodewijk van Halen{{Cite web |url= https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/985333f9-7567-56a3-e053-b784100ade19?person=985333f9-7568-56a3-e053-b784100ade19|language=nl|title=Archiefkaarten, archiefnummer 30238, inventarisnummer 307|website=Stadsarchief Amsterdam}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1955|1|26}}

| birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|10|6|1955|1|26}}

| death_place = Santa Monica, California, U.S.

| years_active = 1964–2020

| spouse = {{Unbulleted list|{{marriage|Valerie Bertinelli
|1981|2007|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|Janie Liszewski
|2009}}}}

| education = Pasadena City College

| children = Wolfgang Van Halen

| relatives = Alex Van Halen (brother)

| nationality = {{flatlist|

American
Dutch

}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Musician
songwriter

}}

| module = {{Infobox musical artist

| embed = yes

| origin = Pasadena, California, U.S.

| instruments = {{flatlist|

Guitar
keyboards

}}

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| past_member_of = Van Halen

}}

Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ({{IPAc-en|v|æ|n|_|ˈ|h|eɪ|l|ən}} {{respell|van|_|HAY|lən}}, {{IPA|nl|ˈɛtʋɑrt ˈloːdəʋɛik fɑn ˈɦaːlə(n)|lang}}; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex in 1972.

Van Halen is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history,{{cite magazine|first=Andy |last=Greene |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eddie-van-halen-dead-200051/ |title=Eddie Van Halen, Hall of Famer Who Revolutionized Guitar, Dead at 65 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=October 6, 2020 |access-date=October 13, 2020}} and was well-known for popularizing the tapping guitar technique, allowing rapid arpeggios to be played with two hands on the fretboard. Eddie Van Halen was voted number one in a Guitar World Magazine poll for "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" poll.{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2012 |title=Eddie Van Halen Voted "GREATEST GUITARIST OF ALL TIME" in Guitar World Readers Poll |url=https://www.vhnd.com/2012/10/11/eddie-van-halen-voted-greatest-guitarist/ |access-date=February 10, 2025 |website=Van Halen News Desk |language=en-US}} Rolling Stone ranked Van Halen 4th in its list of the "250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2023.{{Cite magazine |date=October 13, 2023 |title=The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/ |access-date=October 14, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

Van Halen dealt with numerous health issues beginning in the 1990s. He died on October 6, 2020, due to complications from throat cancer.{{Cite web |first1=Sandra |last1=Gonzalez |first2=Brandon |last2=Griggs |date=October 6, 2020 |title=Eddie Van Halen dies at 65 after cancer battle |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/entertainment/eddie-van-halen-dead/index.html |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}}

Early life, family and education

Edward Lodewijk van Halen was born in Amsterdam on January 26, 1955,{{Cite news|title=Eddie Van Halen, 65, Rock Original With Lightning in His Fingers, Dies. |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 7, 2020 |first=Jim |last=Farber}} the son of Jan van Halen and Eugenia ({{née|van Beers}}). His father was a Dutch jazz pianist, clarinettist, and saxophonist who worked for the Dutch Air Force{{Cite web | first=| last= | work=The Jakarta Post |title= Remembering Van Halen, guitar legend with Indonesian roots |url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/10/11/remembering-van-halen-guitar-legend-with-indonesian-roots.html |access-date=June 25, 2024 |publisher = |language= en}} and played with local acts like Jos Cleber and Snip en Snap.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMkXcNaKOIo | title=Interview with Alex and Eddie van Halen in Dutch - 1979 (With subtitles) | website=YouTube | date=December 29, 2020 }} Van Halen's mother was an Indo woman from Rangkasbitung on the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).{{cite book | first= Kevin | last=Dodds| title= Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography| year = 2011| page= 2| quote =Thus was born a Eurasian woman in 1914 with the markedly Dutch name of Eugenia van Beers in the Dutch East Indies.| publisher =| isbn=}} After six years in Indonesia, the family moved to Amsterdam and later moved to Nijmegen, Netherlands.{{cite book | first= Kevin | last=Dodds| title= Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography| year = 2011| page= 4 | publisher =| isbn=}}

After experiencing mistreatment for their mixed-race relationship in the 1950s,{{Cite web|title=Eddie Van Halen endured a 'horrifying racist environment' before becoming a rock legend|date=October 9, 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/eddie-van-halen-endured-horrifying-racist-environment-becoming-rock-legend-n1242663|access-date=February 9, 2022|publisher=NBC News|language= en}} Jan and Eugenia Van Halen moved their family to the US in 1962. They settled near family members in Pasadena, California, where Jan Van Halen worked as a janitor to supplement the income he earned from playing music in venues like The Continental Club, La Miranda Country Club and The Alpine Haus.{{cite web | url=https://www.vhnd.com/2014/06/15/jan-van-halens-story/ | title=Jan van Halen's Story | date=June 15, 2014 }} After Eddie's brother Alex had occasionally filled in on drums, Eddie played bass when the band{{clarify|date=March 2025}} was a member short. His mother worked as a maid to help make ends meet. Since Alex and Eddie did not speak English as a first language, they were considered "minority" students and experienced bullying by white students. They began learning the piano at age six,{{cite magazine|title=Q&A: Eddie Van Halen|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=April 16, 1998|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/eddie-van-halen-19980416|access-date=October 6, 2015}}[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p133912|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic.org]; accessed December 1, 2017. commuting from Pasadena to San Pedro, Los Angeles, to study with an elderly piano teacher, Stasys Kalvaitis.{{cite web|url=http://www.van-halen.com/video/vh-interviews|title=VH Interviews|publisher= | website= van-halen.com|access-date=July 15, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140723175023/http://www.van-halen.com/video/vh-interviews|archive-date=July 23, 2014}}

Van Halen never learned to read music.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.esquire.com/the-side/music/eddie-van-halen-interview-2012-8147775|title=Eddie Van Halen Interview |magazine=Esquire|date=April 17, 2012|access-date=December 5, 2013}} Instead, he watched recitals of Bach or Mozart repertoire and improvised. Between 1964 and 1967, he won first place in the annual piano competition at Long Beach City College. Their parents wanted their sons to be classical pianists, but the boys gravitated towards rock music,{{cite interview |url=http://jasobrecht.com/eddie-van-halen-complete-1978-interviews | first = Eddie | last= Van Halen |title=Transcript |publisher= Jas Obrecht | interviewer = Jas Obrecht | website =jasobrecht.com| date= 1978| access-date=June 1, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022020333/http://jasobrecht.com/eddie-van-halen-complete-1978-interviews/|archive-date= October 22, 2011}} and were greatly influenced by 1960s British Invasion bands such as the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five.

Initially, Alex began playing the guitar and Eddie bought a drum kit; however, after he heard Alex's performance of the Surfaris' drum solo on the song "Wipe Out", Eddie gave Alex the drums and began learning the electric guitar. According to him, as a teen he often practiced while walking around at home with his guitar strapped on, or sitting in his room for hours with the door locked.{{cite web|title=Eddie Van Halen Birthday Special|url=http://www.licklibrary.com/newsletters/issue114-uk.html|publisher=Lick Library|access-date=October 26, 2013|date=January 2010|issue=114|quote=However, when Alex started to then learn to play drums, overtaking Eddie's own abilities, the younger of the two switched to guitar instantly becoming attached to it – locking himself away in his bedroom as a teen to practice, and walking around the house with his guitar strapped on yet unplugged.|archive-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193252/http://www.licklibrary.com/newsletters/issue114-uk.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Eddie Van Halen Biography, Videos & Pictures|url=http://www.guitarlessons.com/guitarists/rock/eddie-van-halen|publisher= | website= GuitarLessons.com |access-date=October 26, 2013|quote=In an interview with Guitar World, Eddie explained his practice ethic during his teenage years. 'I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Schlitz Malt talls. My brother would go out at 7 p.m. to party and get laid, and when he'd come back at 3 a.m., I would still be sitting in the same place, playing guitar. I did that for years – I still do that.'|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195320/http://www.guitarlessons.com/guitarists/rock/eddie-van-halen|archive-date= October 29, 2013}}

Eddie and Alex formed their first band with three other boys. Calling themselves The Broken Combs, they performed at lunchtime at Hamilton Elementary School in Pasadena. Eddie cited this performance when he was in the fourth grade as key to his desire to become a professional musician.{{YouTube|UOTidtqG-Ko|Van Halen 2012 Interview}} He described supergroup Cream's "I'm So Glad" on the album Goodbye as "mind-blowing".{{cite web|url=http://aolradio.slacker.com|title=AOL Radio Stations|author=Slacker Inc|publisher=AOL Radio|access-date=June 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325214944/http://aolradio.slacker.com/|archive-date=March 25, 2016|url-status=dead}} He once claimed that he had learned almost all of Eric Clapton's solos in the band Cream note for note. "I've always said Eric Clapton was my main influence," he said, "but Jimmy Page was actually more the way I am, in a reckless-abandon kind of way."{{cite web | url=http://www.classicvanhalen.com/bios_evh.shtml | via=Classicvanhalen.com| work= Guitar World| title = Eddie Van Halen | date = February 1990| accessdate =}} Speaking at an event at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in 2015, Van Halen discussed his life and the American Dream. "We came here with approximately $50 and a piano, and we didn't speak the language. Now look where we are. If that's not the American dream, what is?"{{cite web|date= February 14, 2015|title=Necessity Is the Source of Eddie Van Halen's Inventions | The Takeaway|url=https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2015/02/14/necessity-is-the-source-of-eddie-van-halens-inventions/events/the-takeaway/ |publisher= | website= zocalopublicsquare.org}}

Career

=Van Halen band=

Eddie and his brother Alex formed the band Mammoth in 1972.{{cite web |url=http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/gu072378.php |title=Eddie van Halen |access-date=August 13, 2007}} Two years later, David Lee Roth joined Mammoth as lead singer, and Mammoth officially changed its name to Van Halen. It became a staple of the Los Angeles music scene, playing at well-known clubs such as the Whisky a Go Go.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/van-halen-mn0000260206/biography|title=Van Halen – Biography & History|publisher= AllMusic}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/eddie-van-halen/jan-00/4788 |title=Eddie Van Halen |magazine=Guitar Player |date=January 2000 |access-date= November 23, 2008 |archive-date= December 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224061525/http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/eddie-van-halen/jan-00/4788 |url-status=dead }} At a 1976 concert at The Starwood in California, the band opened for UFO. Kiss bassist Gene Simmons saw the performance and said,{{Cite web|title=Gene Simmons recalls producing early Van Halen demos — and why he tore up their contract: 'They owe me nothing'|date=January 24, 2021 |url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/gene-simmons-recalls-producing-early-van-halen-demos-and-why-he-tore-up-their-contract-they-owe-me-nothing-204511527.html| access-date= October 13, 2021|publisher=Yahoo!|language=en-US}} "I was waiting backstage by the third song." He asked the band about their plans, and they said, "There is a yogurt manufacturer that is going to invest in us." Simmons begged them not to go that route and invited them to record some demos at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, New York City. Simmons signed them to his company, and the band recorded early demos of their songs, including "Runnin' with the Devil". Excited about the band, Simmons approached Kiss manager Bill Aucoin and Kiss frontman Paul Stanley about them, but they dismissed his desire to sign them to Aucoin's management fold. Stanley later said he "rejected Van Halen to protect Kiss", and that they made an effort to make Simmons drop the band to "keep Gene in check".{{Cite web|author= |date=September 15, 2021|title='We rejected Van Halen in 1976 to protect Kiss' admits Paul Stanley|url= https://www.loudersound.com/news/we-rejected-van-halen-in-1976-to-protect-kiss-admits-paul-stanley|access-date=October 13, 2021|publisher= | website= loudersound.com |language=en}} The discouraging words caused Simmons to rip up the contract, and he "let them go" after feeling he may have held the band back. The next year, Warner Records offered Van Halen a recording contract.{{cite news |first=Jas |last=Obrecht |url=http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?doc_id=81828&src=3SOSWXXA |title=A Legend is Born Eddie Van Halen's First Interview |publisher=Musician's Friend |access-date=November 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218222440/http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?doc_id=81828&src=3SOSWXXA |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |url-status= dead}}

Eddie remained on good terms with Simmons. It was rumored that Eddie nearly replaced guitarist Ace Frehley after his departure from Kiss in 1982, but that Simmons talked him out of leaving Van Halen. However, neither Paul Stanley nor Eddie Van Halen remember this happening. Stanley did recall Eddie coming down to the studio, being "blown away" by their song "Creatures of the Night", and telling Stanley he wanted to get into playing keyboards. Stanley was confused at Eddie's interest in keyboards, but his interest resulted in the creation of "Jump".{{Cite web|last=Blabbermouth|date=February 10, 2021|title=PAUL STANLEY Says He Doesn't Know If EDDIE VAN HALEN Wanted To Join KISS Nearly 40 Years Ago|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/paul-stanley-says-he-doesnt-know-if-eddie-van-halen-wanted-to-join-kiss-nearly-40-years-ago/ |access-date=October 13, 2021 |publisher=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}} The band's 1978 album Van Halen reached No. 19 on the Billboard pop music charts and was one of rock's most commercially successful debuts, highly regarded as both a heavy metal and hard rock album.{{cite web |url= http://www.rhino.com/rs500/listing9.lasso|title=Rolling Stone Top 500 |publisher= Rhino|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531104356/http://www.rhino.com/rs500/listing9.lasso|archive-date=May 31, 2009|at=#401-450}} By the early 1980s, Van Halen was one of the most successful rock acts of the time.{{cite web|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/35-years-later-van-halens-1984-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-the-band-11103309|title=Van Halen's 1984 Turns 35 Today, Is At Least The Second Best Work With That Title|first=Pete |last=Vonder Haar|date=January 9, 2019|website=Houston Press}}

Their album 1984 went five-times Platinum a year after its release.{{cite web |title=RIAA Gold & Platinum Awards |url= https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=van+halen#search_section |publisher=RIAA |access-date=April 15, 2019}} Its lead single, "Jump", became the band's first and only No. 1 pop hit and brought them a Grammy nomination.{{cite web |url=http://www.yuddy.com/articles/Music/van-halen.html |title=Van Halen Bio |publisher= | website= Yuddy.com |access-date=August 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828201619/http://www.yuddy.com/articles/music/van-halen.html |archive-date=August 28, 2007 |url-status=dead}} The band won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocals for the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-26-ca-2742-story.html |title=34th Annual Grammy Award Winners |date= February 26, 1992 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} In 2019, the band ranked 20th on the RIAA list of best-selling artists, with 56 million album sales in the US{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/ |title=Gold & Platinum|publisher=RIAA}}{{cite web |url=http://www.statisticbrain.com/van-halen-band-career-statistics/ |title=Van Halen band career statistics |date= November 8, 2010 |access-date= September 20, 2013 |archive-date= December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224154304/http://www.statisticbrain.com/van-halen-band-career-statistics/ |url-status=dead }} and more than 100 million worldwide.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6465504/van-halen-first-live-album-david-lee-roth|title=Van Halen to Release First Concert Album With David Lee Roth |magazine=Billboard |date=February 7, 2015|access-date=January 20, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-04-05/music/van-halen-at-bankatlantic-center-april-10/full/|title=Van Halen at BankAtlantic Center April 10|work=Miami New Times|first=Victor|last=Gonzales|date=April 5, 2012|access-date=February 11, 2013|archive-date=January 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113154728/http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-04-05/music/van-halen-at-bankatlantic-center-april-10/full/|url-status=dead}} Additionally, Van Halen charted 13 number-one hits in the history of Billboard{{'}}s Mainstream Rock chart; meanwhile, VH1 ranked the band seventh on a list of the top 100 hard rock artists of all time,{{cite web |url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2000/vh1hardrock.htm|title=Rock the Net-VH1: 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists|access-date=February 16, 2017}} and, in 2007, Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url= https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/van-halen|title=Van Halen |publisher=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | website = rockhall.com}} Individually, Van Halen received acclaim for his guitar work in the band.{{cite web |url=https://prospect.org/article/rise-and-stall-van-halen |title=The Rise and Stall of Van Halen |first=Matthew |last=Duss |date= September 7, 2007 |work=The American Prospect}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/van-halen-feel-the-burn-63440/ |title=Van Halen Feel the Burn |first=Steve |last=Pond |date=July 14, 1988| magazine=Rolling Stone}}

File:Van Halen-8597 (20643101375).jpg

=Other work=

Van Halen engaged in several projects outside of his band, including solo work and partnerships with his brother on film soundtracks such as The Wild Life in 1984, Twister 1996, and Sacred Sin in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/features/news/2006/07/060727_eddievanhalen|title= Eddie Van Halen Scores Porn|website= spin.com|access-date=June 1, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823155657/http://www.spin.com/features/news/2006/07/060727_eddievanhalen|archive-date=August 23, 2006}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary_Navigation=Articles&Action=View_Article&Content_ID=272492|title=AVN|magazine=Spin|access-date=December 1, 2017}} as well as musical collaborations with Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, singer-songwriter Nicolette Larson,{{cite book |last1= Templeman |first1=Ted |last2=Renoff |first2=Greg |title=Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music |year= 2020 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn= 978-1773054797 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4PCDwAAQBAJ |access-date=October 6, 2020}} Queen guitarist Brian May,{{cite web|url=http://www.rockalbumreviews.co.uk/rock-albums/1980s-rock-albums/brian-may-star-fleet-project-1983/|title=Brian May – Star Fleet Project (1983)| first= Andy | last= Doherty|date=September 3, 2009|website=Rock Album Reviews|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208093715/http://www.rockalbumreviews.co.uk/rock-albums/1980s-rock-albums/brian-may-star-fleet-project-1983/|archive-date= December 8, 2012 }} Sammy Hagar,{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/-sammy-hagar-finally-reveals-eddie-van-halens-guitar-part-on-his-1987-solo-lp|title=Sammy Hagar Finally Reveals Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Part on His 1987 Solo LP|last=Scapelliti|first=Christopher|date=June 26, 2015|publisher=Guitar Player| access-date=October 6, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191105202027/https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/-sammy-hagar-finally-reveals-eddie-van-halens-guitar-part-on-his-1987-solo-lp|archive-date=November 5, 2019|url-status=live}} Black Sabbath,{{cite book|last1=Sharpe-Young|first1=Garry|title= Metal: The Definitive Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KNrV3iQ_qrIC&q=evil+eye+eddie&pg=PA27|publisher=Jawbone Press|access-date=December 5, 2016|date=January 1, 2007| isbn= 9781906002015}} Roger Waters,{{cite news |title= Lost Boys Calling – Eddie Van Halen, Roger Waters |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/lost-boys-calling-mt0000512550 |access-date=October 6, 2020 |website= AllMusic}} Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, and LL Cool J.{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/eddie-van-halen-teams-ll-cool-j|title=Eddie Van Halen Teams Up With LL Cool J|date=April 2, 2013|website=Guitar World|language= en|access-date=April 8, 2020}}

In 1982, Eddie Van Halen contributed the guitar solo to "Beat It", for Michael Jackson's album Thriller, which became the biggest selling album of all time.Shields, Gerard (April 22, 1983). {{cite web|url= http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/BasicArch/Client.asp?Skin=BasicArch&&AppName=2&enter=true&BaseHref=DCG%2F1983%2F04%2F22&EntityId=Ar02600 |title= Motown going strong into the '80s |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120314080148/http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/BasicArch/Client.asp?Skin=BasicArch&&AppName=2&enter=true&BaseHref=DCG%2F1983%2F04%2F22&EntityId=Ar02600 |archive-date= March 14, 2012}}. Daily Collegian. Eddie became involved after The Who guitarist Pete Townshend became unavailable and recommended him.{{Cite web|last= Kielty |first= Martin|title=Pete Townshend Turned Down Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' Invite |date= October 14, 2020 |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pete-townshend-michael-jackson-beat-it/|access-date= October 13, 2021|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock|language=en}} Eddie met with Quincy Jones and Jackson. Unsure of what he could add to a pop song, he played along with the song and ended up restructuring it before adding the classic solo. In a 2012 CNN interview,{{Cite magazine|last= Cordero|first=Rosy|title=Eddie Van Halen recorded a rockin' guitar solo for Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' for free|url=https://ew.com/music/eddie-van-halen-beat-it-guitar-solo-recorded-free/|access-date=October 13, 2021|magazine= Entertainment Weekly|language=en}} he said, "I listened to the song, and I immediately go, 'Can I change some parts?' I turned to the engineer and I go, 'OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.' Took him maybe 10 minutes to put it together. And I proceeded to improvise two solos over it." He added, "I was just finishing the second solo when Michael walked in. And you know artists are kind of crazy people. We're all a little bit strange. I didn't know how he would react to what I was doing. So I warned him before he listened. I said, 'Look, I changed the middle section of your song.' Now in my mind, he's either going to have his bodyguards kick me out for butchering his song, or he's going to like it. And so he gave it a listen, and he turned to me and went, 'Wow, thank you so much for having the passion to not just come in and blaze a solo but to actually care about the song and make it better." Eddie was so pleased, he refused payment for his work.Eddie Van Halen confirmed that he did not charge for his guitar solo on Beat It during an interview on CNN's Larry King Live in 1996. He mentioned that he played the solo as a favor and never expected payment. He also shared a story about how he rearranged part of the song while Michael Jackson was out of the studio, which Jackson later loved. However, he also reiterated this story in later interviews, including a [https://www.vhnd.com/2012/11/30/eddie-van-halen-deconstructs-his-collaboration-on-beat-it/ 2009 CNN segment] and other public talks. In another interview on Piers Morgan Live 5/3/13 Eddie Van Halen restates the story. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKxKtqB6zAM Video] published on May 4, 2013, retrieved on February 4, 2025. Ironically, Jackson's Thriller went to the No. 1 spot on the charts, pushing Van Halen's album 1984 to No. 2.

In addition, Van Halen made cameo appearances in the music video for Frank Sinatra's "L.A. Is My Lady", an episode of Café Americain starring his then-wife Valerie Bertinelli, and an episode of Two and a Half Men.{{cite web|title=Eddie Van Halen on Two and a Half Men|website = YouTube| date=September 22, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1fYpkbq8jM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/e1fYpkbq8jM |archive-date= December 15, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=December 1, 2017}}{{cbignore}}

Equipment

=Guitars=

Eddie Van Halen's first guitar, purchased as a child from Sears and Roebuck, was a Teisco Del Rey. He played the guitar in his elementary school band, The Broken Combs. Van Halen played many custom-built and heavily modified guitars, especially early in his career. Upon Ed embarking on his professional music career, his father purchased a Gibson Les Paul for him. He replaced the original P90 pickup on the bridge with a humbucker to sound like Eric Clapton.{{cite magazine|url=https://whatgear.com/pro/eddie-van-halen/vintage-1957-gibson-les-paul-goldtop-electric-guitar|title=Eddie Van Halen – Les Paul Gold Top 57'|magazine=Whatgear}} He later bought and briefly used a Gibson ES-335, also because of its association with Clapton, though he damaged the body while modifying it and it later became cannibalized for parts on numerous other home-build guitar projects. He also owned an Ibanez Destroyer that was used extensively on the debut Van Halen album. Originally used in its natural wood finish, he later painted it white and made several modifications to the electronics. After recording the album, he used a chainsaw to drastically modify the body shape, cutting a deep V into the bottom of the guitar, and painting it in a similar way to his later, more famous, Frankenstrat. Inset into the V he hand-carved teeth and set two eyehooks and chains; the new distinctive shape led to it being nicknamed "The Shark". He only played it for a short time in this state, however, as the modifications changed the tone of the guitar in an unsatisfactory way; he did retain the guitar for the rest of his life. The final state of the Shark can be seen on the cover of Women and Children First, where he posed with the guitar.{{cite AV media | people=Keith Williams | date=August 3, 2022 | title=The Guitars of Eddie Van Halen:A Short History |series = Five Watt World|type=YouTube video |access-date = August 3, 2022|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLtVRgkvcZY}}

== Frankenstrat ==

File:EVH frankenstrat.jpg

Van Halen is most associated with the Frankenstrat, a custom guitar he built from parts. Originally pictured on his band's self-titled debut album, the maple neck cost $80, while the ash body was bought for $50 as the wood had a knot in it. The tremolo bridge was originally taken from a 1958 Fender Stratocaster and was later replaced with a Floyd Rose tremolo. He frequently replaced the neck on the guitar, going through a number of different ones through the years, and the pickup configuration was also frequently changed. In its most commonly used configuration, the guitar had a single functional pickup, a Gibson PAF bridge pickup from his ES-335, which he potted with paraffin wax to prevent feedback. The middle pickup was removed and in its place, he had stuffed a non-functional selector switch and random wires, while the neck pickup slot was replaced with a red single-coil pickup, that was also non-functional. The original selector switches and tone knobs were removed, and the volume knob was replaced with a knob labeled "TONE". The Frankenstrat, as shown on the cover of Van Halen I, was originally painted white with black stripes, but was recoated with Schwinn red bicycle paint in 1979.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/eddie_van_halen_how_i_built_my_frankenstrat_guitar.html|title=Eddie Van Halen – How I Built My Frankenstrat|magazine=Ultimate Guitar|date=October 10, 2017|access-date=October 7, 2020}}

Before and during the recording of Van Halen II, he built a second "partscaster" guitar painted in a distinctive black-and-yellow striped paint job that earned it the moniker "The Bumblebee Guitar". That guitar was later donated to Rita Haney, the longtime partner of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, shortly after his death; it was placed in his casket and buried along with him.{{cite web |last1=Kielty |first1=Martin |title=Why Eddie Van Halen Buried his 'Van Halen II' guitar with Dimebag Darrell |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eddie-van-halen-dimebag-darrell-guitar-buried/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=August 3, 2022 |date=December 8, 2018}} Eddie Van Halen used a mini-Les Paul guitar for "Little Guitars" (Diver Down). This is the only Van Halen recording that the guitar was used for. The mini-Les Paul was made by Nashville luthier David Petschulat and was pitched and sold to him during a tour stop in Nashville, Tennessee. He later purchased a second mini-LP guitar, built to slightly different specs, the first being a honey-sunburst with mini-humbuckers, and the second being dark wine-red with a thicker body and full-size humbuckers.David Petschulat - 2015 In 1982, Van Halen made his first guitar endorsement by launching the Baretta model with Kramer. This partnership lasted a decade. In the mid-1980s, he purchased a Steinberger GL2T guitar. Its distinctive switch-operated vibrato system can be heard on the 5150 album. From 1991 to 1995, Van Halen worked with Ernie Ball / Music Man, developing the Music Man EVH model guitar, which was later renamed the Axis after the partnership ended. In 1996, Van Halen teamed up with Peavey, where they developed the Peavey EVH Wolfgang; this relationship lasted until 2004, when Van Halen joined forces with Fender, initially releasing the Edward-endorsed Art Series guitars under Fender's Charvel brand and later developing the EVH brand.{{cite web|title=Eddie Van Halen's Guitars and Gear|url=https://www.groundguitar.com/eddie-van-halen-guitars-and-gear/|access-date=October 10, 2020|website=Ground Guitar|language=en}} In 2006, Fender created the "Frank 2", a near-perfect production replica of the original Frankenstrat; Van Halen later claimed that when presented the two guitars in a blind comparison, he had some trouble picking out the original home-made guitar from Fender's production replica.{{cite web |last1=Gotlieb |first1=Jed |title=The History of Eddie Van Halen's 12 Most Famous Guitars |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eddie-van-halen-guitars/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=August 3, 2022 |date=August 27, 2020}} For Van Halen's 2012 tour, and early 2015 television appearances, he used a Wolfgang USA guitar with a black finish and ebony fretboard. For the 2015 tour, he used a white Wolfgang USA guitar designed by Chip Ellis, featuring a custom kill switch.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/eddie-van-halen-reveals-secrets-behind-his-live-rig-powered-van-halens-2015-us-tour|title=Eddie Van Halen Reveals Secrets Behind His Live Rig: Guitars, Amps, Effects and More|magazine=Guitar World|date=January 26, 2017|access-date=October 7, 2020}}

=Settings=

Van Halen's first string endorsement deal happened around 1989 when Ernie Ball launched the 5150 EVH line of guitar strings.{{Cite web|date=February 26, 2009|title=Sterling Ball on his Association with Eddie Van Halen|url=https://www.vhnd.com/2009/02/26/sterling-ball-on-his-association-with-evh/|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=Van Halen News Desk|language=en-US}} The gauge of the strings differed slightly from typical electric guitar strings at the time, which were 9, 11, 16, 24, 32 and 42 (in thousandths of an inch) - the EVH Ernie Ball strings measured 9, 11, 15, 24, 32 and 40.{{Cite web|last=Airey|first=Chris|date=October 4, 2015|title=EVH Strings and Things|url=https://projectevh.com/2015/10/04/evh-strings-and-things/|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=Project EVH|language=en}} After this endorsement deal ended, guitar strings became part of the Fender EVH line and are now sold as EVH Premium Strings.{{Cite web|title=Accessories|url=https://www.evhgear.com/accessories|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=www.evhgear.com}} Van Halen used a variety of pickups, including 1970s Mighty Mites, which were made by Seymour Duncan and were copies of DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups.{{cite web|url=http://www.wayneguitars.com/history.html|title=History|publisher=Wayne Guitars|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125065939/http://www.wayneguitars.com/history.html|archive-date=November 25, 2010}} He also used Gibson PAFs, one of which was rewound by Seymour Duncan in 1978.{{cite web|url=http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/gp122979.php|title=Interviews – Eddie Van Halen|date=December 29, 1979|publisher=vhlinks.com}} In an interview with Guitar World in 1985, Van Halen stated that his guitar sound style which he called "brown sound" is "...basically a tone, a feeling that I'm always working at ... It comes from the person. If the person doesn't even know what that type of tone I'm talking about is, they can't really work towards it, can they?"{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6605131/eddie-van-halen-synesthesia-rumors-brown-sound|title=Does Eddie Van Halen See Colors When He Hears Music? The Guitarist Addresses the Rumors|magazine=Billboard}} In an interview with Billboard magazine in June 2015, he stated that with the expression "brown sound" he actually tried to describe the sound of his brother Alex's snare drum, which he thought "...sounds like he's beating on a log. It's very organic. So it wasn't my brown sound. It was Alex's." In 1993, Van Halen collaborated with Peavey Electronics to develop a series of amplifiers and cabinets, collectively called the 5150 series, which ended in 2004. Van Halen then began work with Fender, developing the EVH products and brand.{{cite web|title=Timeline|url=https://peavey.com/content--name-Timeline|access-date=October 10, 2020|website=peavey.com}} In 2007, the first EVH branded amplifiers were produced by Fender, followed shortly after by a limited-edition "Frankenstrat" inspired guitar. In 2009, they continued to press forward on the guitar front by releasing the Wolfgang-inspired EVH guitar line. The brand has since expanded to include additional guitars and accessories.{{cite web|title=The Wolfgang Saga: How 3 Brands Built Eddie Van Halen's Signature Guitar|url=https://reverb.com/news/the-story-of-eddie-van-halens-wolfgang-evh-guitar|access-date=October 10, 2020|website=reverb.com|date=August 26, 2019|language=en}}{{cite web|title=EVH® Brand Guitars, Amplifiers and Musical Products|url=https://www.evhgear.com/|access-date=October 10, 2020|website=www.evhgear.com}} Van Halen was awarded three patents related to guitars: a folding prop to support a guitar in a flat position,{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4656917|title=Musical instrument support|via=google.com|access-date=December 1, 2017}} a tension-adjusting tailpiece,{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US7183475|title=Stringed instrument with adjustable string tension control|publisher=US Patent|access-date=December 1, 2017}} and an ornamental design for a headstock.{{cite web|url=https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=D0388117&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3DD388,117.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2FD388,117%2526RS%3DPN%2FD388,117&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page|title=United States Patent Des. 388,117 for Guitar Peghead|publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office|date=December 23, 1997|access-date=October 6, 2020}}

=Keyboards=

The first recorded keyboard work by Van Halen is "And the Cradle Will Rock...", written and performed on a Wurlitzer electric piano through a Marshall amp.{{cite web | url =http://www.vhnd.com/women-and-children-first/and-the-cradle-will-rock/ | title=And The Cradle Will Rock... |access-date= April 24, 2015 |work = Van Halen News Desk | date=April 14, 2013 }} The riff for "Dancing in the Street" (on Diver Down) was written and performed on Minimoog.{{cite web | url =https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eddie-van-halen-keyboards/| title=The History of Eddie Van Halen and Keyboards |access-date= November 17, 2020 |work = Ultimate Classic Rock | date=January 26, 2015 }} "Jump" and "I'll Wait" were written and performed on an Oberheim OB-Xa,{{cite web | url =https://glidemagazine.com/249371/eddie-van-halen-the-keyboardist-remembering-the-guitar-heros-greatest-synth-moments/| title=EDDIE VAN HALEN- THE KEYBOARDIST: REMEMBERING THE GUITAR HERO'S GREATEST SYNTH MOMENTS |access-date= November 17, 2020 |work = Glide Magazine | date=October 13, 2020 }}{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Van Halen's '1984' At 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review|first=Gary|last=Graff|date=January 9, 2014|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5869374/van-halen-s-1984-at-30-classic-track-by-track-review|access-date=October 25, 2020}} while "Dreams", "Why Can't This Be Love"OB-8 patch "Rock Unison" and "Love Walks In" are with Oberheim OB-8. Eddie also wrote "When It's Love" and "Right Now"{{Cite web|url=http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/fu1998.php|title=Van Halen Links.com - Interviews - Eddie Van Halen - 1998 ::. Fuzz Magazine|website=Vhlinks.com|access-date=July 22, 2021}} on keyboards.

During the 5150 and OU812 tours, Eddie Van Halen would play keyboard parts live while Sammy Hagar played the guitar. From the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge tour, Van Halen played guitar throughout the concerts, while the keyboards were played backstage by touring keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald up through 2012.Guitar World,The Whole Truth - Ed and Wolf's techs give us an inside look at their stage rigs, By Chris Gill, August 2012, page 66: 'From techs like DeFalco and Survis to 'secret weapon' keyboardist Alan 'Fitz' Fitzgerald, Van Halen has put together a team of true all stars for their 2012 tour.'

Style and influence

=Technique=

File:Eddie Van Halen at the New Haven Coliseum 2.jpg in 1978]]

Van Halen's 1978 instrumental solo "Eruption", which was voted number 2 in Guitar World{{'}}s readers poll of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos",[https://web.archive.org/web/20060206211452/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time/ Rollingstone.com], 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time showcased the tapping technique, which uses both left and right hands on the guitar neck. Although he popularized tapping, he did not invent the technique. According to MusicRadar, Steve Hackett{{snd}}lead guitarist with Genesis in the 1970s{{snd}}is "widely credited with inventing two-handed tapping" and was an influence on Van Halen.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-hackett-talks-wolflight-phrasing-and-the-nylon-knack-620021|title=Steve Hackett talks Wolflight, phrasing and the nylon knack|work=musicradar.com|date=April 29, 2015|access-date=January 5, 2016}} When asked about this, Hackett said, "Eddie and I have never spoken about it, but yes, he has credited me with tapping... Eddie is a fine player, of course, and he's the one who named the technique."{{cite web|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-hackett-how-i-invented-finger-tapping-542029|title=Steve Hackett: how I invented finger tapping|work=musicradar.com|date=April 30, 2012|access-date=May 30, 2019}}

George Lynch said in an interview that he and Van Halen saw Harvey Mandel tap at the Starwood in the 1970s.{{cite web|url=http://themetalden.com/index.php?p=198|title=Interview: George Lynch|date=March 15, 2009 |publisher=themetalden.com|access-date=December 1, 2017}} Van Halen named Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin as an influence, saying in one interview with Guitar World:{{blockquote|"I think I got the idea of tapping watching Jimmy Page do his "Heartbreaker" solo back in 1971. He was doing a pull-off to an open string, and I thought wait a minute, open string ... pull off. I can do that, but what if I use my finger as the nut and move it around? I just kind of took it and ran with it."[http://www.guitarworld.com/article/van_halen_vh1 Van Halen: VH1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115053118/http://www.guitarworld.com/article/van_halen_vh1|date=January 15, 2011}}, Guitar World; accessed December 1, 2017.|author=|title=|source=}}

Until it expired in 2005, Van Halen held a patent for a flip-out support device that attaches to the rear of the electric guitar.{{US patent|4656917| U.S. Patent No. 4,656,917}}, Musical instrument support, April 14, 1987, Edward L. Van Halen, inventor. This device enables the user to employ the tapping technique by playing the guitar in a manner similar to the piano with the face of the guitar oriented upward instead of forward.{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4656917A/en|title=Musical instrument support|website=Patents.google.com|access-date=October 6, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/02/celebrity-invention-eddie-van-halens-guitar-support-system/70770/|title=Celebrity Invention: Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Support System|first=Rebecca|last=Greenfield|date=February 4, 2011|website=The Atlantic}}{{cite web | title = United States Patent: 4656917 | url = http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/4656917 | website = United States Patent and Trademark Office | date = April 14, 1987 | first1 = Edward L. | last1 = Van Halen | access-date = October 19, 2020 | archive-date = April 21, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210421020615/http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/4656917 | url-status = dead }}

Personal life

=Marriages and family=

File:EddieVanHalenatEmmys.jpg, in 1993]]

In 1980, Van Halen met actress Valerie Bertinelli at a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana.{{cite magazine|title=A Guitar Hero Picks His Bride|url=http://ew.com/article/1997/04/11/guitar-hero-picks-his-bride|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=March 12, 2017|date=April 11, 1997}} They married in California eight months later on April 11, 1981, and had one son, Wolfgang, in 1991.{{cite web|url=https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a43753/valerie-bertinelli-van-halen-wedding/|title=Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen's Wedding Day Was Actually Really Sad|first=Maria|last=Carter|date=June 30, 2017|website=Country Living}}{{cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/van-halen-on-jimmy-kimmel-eric-stonestreet-posts-valerie-bertinelli-video/|title=Eric Stonestreet Posts the Best Video of Valerie Bertinelli at Van Halen Show|website=People}} In 2005, Bertinelli filed for divorce in Los Angeles after four years of separation.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/valerie-bertinelli-eddie-van-halen-to-divorce/|title=Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen to Divorce|website=People}} The divorce was finalized in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/valerie-bertinelli-about-divorce-from-eddie-van-halen-i-wasnt-an-angel-either|title=Valerie Bertinelli About Divorce From Eddie Van Halen: 'I Wasn't An Angel Either'|date=March 25, 2015|work=Fox News|agency=Associated Press}}

The following year, Eddie proposed to his girlfriend, Janie Liszewski, an actress and stuntwoman who was Van Halen's publicist at the time. The two married in 2009 at his Studio City estate, with his son Wolfgang and ex-wife Bertinelli in attendance.{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/celebrity/eddie-van-halen-in-flip-flops-weds-girlfriend/|title=Eddie Van Halen – in Flip-Flops – Weds Girlfriend|date=June 27, 2009|magazine=People}} His brother Alex Van Halen is an ordained minister, and he officiated Eddie's 2009 wedding and that of his former sister-in-law, Valerie Bertinelli, when she remarried in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.vhnd.com/alex-van-halen/ |title=Alex Van Halen Bio |date=June 17, 2013 |publisher=Vhnd.com |access-date=October 13, 2020}}

=Health=

Van Halen struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction throughout his life. He began smoking and drinking at the age of 12, and he stated that he eventually needed alcohol to function.{{cite magazine|first=Chuck|last=Klosterman|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6605231/eddie-van-halen-addiction-david-lee-roth-touring|title=Billboard Cover: Eddie Van Halen on Surviving Addiction, Why He's Still Making Music and What He Really Thinks of David Lee Roth (and Other Past Van Halen Bandmates)|magazine=Billboard|location=Los Angeles, California|date=June 19, 2015}} He entered rehabilitation in 2007,{{cite magazine|first=Jonathan|last=Cohen|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1054104/eddie-van-halen-enters-rehab-facility-skipping-rock-hall|title=Eddie Van Halen Enters Rehab Facility, Skipping Rock Hall|magazine=Billboard|location=Los Angeles, California|date=June 9, 2007}} and shared in a 2015 interview that he had been sober since 2008.

Van Halen was diagnosed with chronic avascular necrosis in 1995. After suffering from lingering injuries from past, high-risk, acrobatic stage performances and crashes, he underwent hip replacement surgery in 1999.{{cite magazine|first=James|last=Hamblin|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/08/colon-eruption-stay-strong-eddie-van-halen/261780/|title=Colon Eruption: Stay Strong, Eddie Van Halen|magazine=The Atlantic|date=August 30, 2012}}

Van Halen began receiving treatment for tongue cancer in 2000. The subsequent surgery removed roughly a third of his tongue. He was declared cancer-free in 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/van-halen-1225779|title=Eddie Van Halen blames guitar picks for giving him tongue cancer|first=Luke Morgan|last=Britton|date=June 19, 2015|website=NME}} He blamed the tongue cancer on his habit of holding guitar picks in his mouth, stating in 2015: "I used metal picks – they're brass and copper – which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer. ... I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it's possible."

In 2012, Van Halen underwent emergency surgery for a severe bout of diverticulitis.{{cite web|first=Chad|last=Childers|title=Eddie Van Halen Undergoes Emergency Surgery|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/eddie-van-halen-undergoes-emergency-surgery|work=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=August 29, 2012|access-date=August 29, 2012}} Recovery time required due to the surgery led to postponement of Van Halen tour dates scheduled in Japan.{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/eddie-van-halen-emergency-surgery-van-halen-tour-dates-postponed/|title=Eddie Van Halen Has Emergency Surgery, Van Halen Tour Dates Postponed|website=Loudwire.com|date=September 9, 2012|access-date=October 6, 2020}}

Van Halen was hospitalized in 2019 after battling throat cancer over the previous five years, and his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli also mentioned a battle with lung cancer in an Instagram post shortly after his death.{{cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/11/eddie-van-halen-hospitalized-report/|title=Eddie Van Halen hospitalized due to complications from cancer drugs: Report|date=November 18, 2019|access-date=October 6, 2020|website=Consequence of Sound|first=Spencer|last=Kaufman}}{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CGBUjwRgEi5/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/wolfiesmom/2414301293192431801 |archive-date=December 23, 2021 |url-access=subscription|title=Valerie Bertinelli on Instagram: "40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you. You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang. Through all your…"|website=Instagram|access-date=October 15, 2020}}{{cbignore}}

=Death=

Van Halen died of a stroke at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, on October 6, 2020, at the age of 65, surrounded by his wife, Janie; son and then-current bassist of Van Halen, Wolfgang; ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli; and brother and co-founder/drummer of Van Halen, Alex. His son, Wolfgang, confirmed his death on social media later that same day.{{cite news|last1=Appleford|first1=Steve|url=https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-10-06/eddie-van-halen-guitar-dies-65|title=Eddie Van Halen, grinning guitar god for a rock generation, dies at 65|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 6, 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Farber|first1=Jim|title=Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/arts/music/eddie-van-halen-dead.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 6, 2020}}{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Price|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/san-diego-reaction-eddie-van-halen-death/509-de8d396d-7454-4ddb-9672-3c5462930d17|title=San Diegans react to death of rock icon Eddie Van Halen|website=cbs8.com|date=October 6, 2020}} Some of Van Halen's childhood landmarks in Pasadena became memorials where fans could pay their respects.{{cite web|first=Bradley|last=Bermont|url=https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2020/10/08/photos-eddie-van-halens-childhood-landmarks-have-become-memorials-for-pasadenas-guitar-god/|title=Photos: Eddie Van Halen's childhood landmarks have become memorials for Pasadena's guitar god|work=Pasadena Star News|date=October 8, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2020/12/13/eddie-van-halen-cremated-ashes-given-son-death-certificate-scattered-malibu/|title=Eddie Van Halen Cremated, Ashes to be Scattered in Ocean Off Malibu|website=TMZ|date=December 13, 2020 |access-date=July 22, 2021}}

Legacy

In February 2017, Van Halen donated 75 guitars from his personal collection to The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a program that provides musical instruments to students in low-income schools.{{Cite magazine|last=Kreps|first=Daniel|date=February 22, 2017|title=Eddie Van Halen Donates Guitars to Low-Income Schools' Music Programs|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eddie-van-halen-donates-guitars-to-low-income-schools-music-programs-106211/|access-date=November 23, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}

At the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, Van Halen was honored by several former musicians he worked with. Jack White from The White Stripes, G. E. Smith, Charlie Benante from Anthrax, and Dierks Bentley gave speeches as a tribute to his career.{{cite web |title=2020 Billboard Awards Pays Tribute to Eddie Van Halen |url=https://loudwire.com/eddie-van-halen-tribute-billboard-music-awards-2020/ |website=Loudwire|date=October 15, 2020 }} Wolfgang Van Halen also shared several personal photos between him and his father.{{cite news |last1=Childers |first1=Chad |title=Wolfgang Van Halen Shares Heart Tugging Photo Tribute to Eddie Van Halen |url=https://loudwire.com/wolfgang-van-halen-photo-tribute-eddie-van-halen/ |access-date=October 31, 2020 |agency=Loudwire |publisher=Townsquare Media |date=October 14, 2020}}

On October 10, 2020, Saturday Night Live paid tribute by playing a clip of him performing with G. E. Smith from a February 1987 show, which was hosted by Valerie Bertinelli.{{Cite web|last=Del Rosario|first=Alexandra|date=October 11, 2020|title='Saturday Night Live' Pays Tribute To Eddie Van Halen|url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/saturday-night-live-tribute-eddie-van-halen-1234595329/|access-date=November 23, 2020|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}

In 2020, the Pasadena Library, located in Pasadena, California, offered several archives and documents related to Van Halen. The collection included several albums, along with photographs by Neil Zlozower, and several CDs. The library also uploaded Van Halen's albums to Hoopla.{{cite web |title=LIBRARY OFFERS BOUNTY OF EDDIE VAN HALEN OFFERINGS |url=https://www.pasadenanow.com/weekendr/library-offers-bounty-of-eddie-van-halen-offerings/ |website=Pasadena Now |access-date=October 31, 2020 |location=Pasadena, California}}

On November 16, 2020, Wolfgang Van Halen announced on The Howard Stern Show that Van Halen would not continue as a band, saying "You can't have Van Halen without Eddie Van Halen".{{cite magazine |last1=Hiatt |first1=Brian |title=Van Halen Considered Reunion Tour With Both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eddie-van-halen-vault-wolfgang-interview-1090873/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=November 16, 2020 |date=November 16, 2020}}

The Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute to Van Halen on their song "Eddie" from their 2022 album Return of the Dream Canteen.{{Cite web|title=Red Hot Chili Peppers Tease Eddie Van Halen-Inspired Song 'Eddie'|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-eddie-van-halen-song/|access-date=September 22, 2022|website=ultimateclassicerock.com|date=September 22, 2022 |language=en}}

Discography

= With Van Halen =

Van Halen (1978)
Van Halen II (1979)
Women and Children First (1980)
Fair Warning (1981)
Diver Down (1982)
1984 (1984)
5150 (1986)
OU812 (1988)
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
Balance (1995)
Van Halen III (1998)
A Different Kind of Truth (2012)

=Solo discography=

"Donut City" for The Wild Life (1984)
"Respect the Wind" for Twister (1996)

=Guest appearances=

Nicolette Larson - Nicolette (1978)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
Brian May - Star Fleet Project (1983)
Sammy Hagar - I Never Said Goodbye (1987)
Steve Lukather - Lukather (1989)
Thomas Dolby - Astronauts & Heretics (1992)
Rich Wyman - Fatherless Child (1996)
David Garfield - Tribute to Jeff (1997)
Steve Lukather - Santamental (2003)
LL Cool J - Authentic (2013)

References

Bibliography

{{cite book|last=Bennett|first=Andrew|title=Eruption In The Canyon: 212 Days and Nights with the Genius of Eddie Van Halen|year=2022|publisher=Andrew Bennett|isbn=978-1088066157|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-C00EAAAQBAJ}}
{{cite book|last=Brannigan|first=Paul|title=Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story|year=2021|publisher=Permuted Press|isbn=978-1637583500|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3RKEAAAQBAJ}}
{{cite book|last1=Gill|first1=Chris|last2=Tolinski|first2=Brad|title=Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen|year=2021|publisher=Hachette|isbn=978-0274800308|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-1QfEAAAQBAJ}}
{{cite book|last=Rosen|first=Steve|title=Tonechaser - Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen|year=2022|publisher=Steve Rosen|isbn=979-8218000233|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kl8WzwEACAAJ}}
{{cite book|last=Zlozower|first=Neil|title=Eddie Van Halen|year=2011|publisher=Chronicle|isbn=978-1452101361|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g4whenSjdHcC}}