Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitarist who co-founded the band Van Halen, has died at 65 years old, TMZ reports.
Van Halen’s son and Van Halen bandmate Wolfgang Van Halen confirmed the news this afternoon, revealing that his father died this morning (October 6). He wrote on Twitter, “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, 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’ve 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.”
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020
Last year, Van Halen was hospitalized due to complications from cancer treatments. He had secretly been battling throat cancer for the previous five years. In April 2020, he was reported to be in stable condition.
In 1972, the band Van Halen was formed, and the group achieved tremendous success. The band has four No. 1 albums and a chart-topping single, the memorable upbeat hit “Jump.” The band is one of the most successful of all time: RIAA data published last month revealed the band Van Halen is the 20th best-selling artist of all time, with over 56.5 million album units sold across their storied discography. Additionally, Van Halen himself was immensely respected as a guitarist and is commonly viewed as one of the most skilled and influential of all time.
