Legendary Rocker Eddie Van Halen Dead At 65

SANTA MONICA, CA — Van Halen founder and guitar genius Eddie Van Halen died after a long battle with throat cancer Tuesday. He was 65.

The famed rocker's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, confirmed his father's death on social media. “My father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” Wolfgang Van Halen wrote on Instagram. “My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”

The hard rock guitarist died Tuesday at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica. Van Halen had been battling cancer for years, and the cancer had spread throughout his body, TMZ reported. He died with his family by his side, including his son, his wife, Janie Van Halen, and his brother, Alex Van Halen, drummer of the famed band.

Raised in Pasadena, California, Eddie Van Halen was considered ahead of his time for an innovative electric guitar style that made him one of the most influential hard rock stars of the 1970s and '80s.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, he was legendary for his high-energy guitar solos and upbeat hooks.

He famously named his guitar 'Frankenstein' and, in a way, he created a monster, inspiring a generation of imitators.

“Ed’s a once- or twice-in-a-century kind of guy. There’s Hendrix, and there’s Eddie Van Halen,” Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell said during Grammy weekend in January 2019, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Those two guys tilted the world on its axis.”

Eddie Van Halen founded the eponymous band with his brother Alex Van Halen, bassist Mark Stone, and colorful singer David Lee Roth, with whom he famously clashed. He was the band's main songwriter. Formed in 1972, the band Van Halen skyrocketed to stardom with five multi-platinum records in five years. The band's sole No. 1 single, "Jump," was released on the wildly successful album "1984."

Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but was raised in Southern California. He grew up in a musical household and played several instruments including the piano and the drums, but it was with the guitar that he found his calling. The Hall of Fame guitarist is considered to be among the best in hard rock.

The band rose up through LA's rock scene at time when dark and droning heavy metal ruled.

However, Van Halen pioneered the pop side of metal with harmonized vocals and guitar heroics. Musically, the band served as a bridge from the Gothic era of heavy metal to the hair metal era that ruled Los Angeles in the 1980s. They went on to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world, particularly following the release of their legendary album "1984." The band pumped out energetic hits such as "Panama," "Jump" and "Hot for Teacher."

Infighting between Eddie Van Halen and Roth led to the singer's departure from the band in 1985. But Roth was quickly replaced by another established rock star, Sammy Hagar, who remained with the group for a decade, continuing to pump out chart-topping albums.

Hagar eventually left the group in 1995, again following a dispute with Eddie, although they reunited in the early 2000s for a reunion tour. Roth later rejoined the group for another reunion tour, this time featuring Wolfgang Van Halen on bass.

Eddie Van Halen would go on to play on many famous recording outside the band. He provided the lead-in guitar track for Michael Jackson's smash hit song "Beat It."

Van Halen famously lived the popular image of a rock god. He struggled with fame and drug abuse, and married actress Valerie Bertinelli, most memorably of the sitcom "One Day at a Time." Together, they had son Wolfgang. They separated in 2001 and officially divorced in 2007. His struggle with alcohol and drugs, contributed to the end of his marriage to Bertinelli. He remarried former stunt woman, Janie Liszewski Van Halen in 2009.

On social media Tuesday, Bertinelli reposted Wolfgang's announcement about Eddie Van Halen's death. On Twitter, she posted a string of broken-heart emojis.

His throat cancer has generally been attributed to long-time smoking habit, but TMZ reported that Van Halen believed he developed cancer from a metal guitar pick he used to hold in his mouth.

His death was sparking a predictable outpouring of grief in the rock community, led by Hagar, who tweeted a photo of the two together accompanied by the message: "Heartbroken and speechless. My love to the family."

Aerosmith tweeted: "Rest In Peace @eddievanhalen You will be missed! #Legend," while Billy Idol wrote: "Rest in peace guitar legend Eddie Van Halen. We will miss you."

From Journey guitarist Neal Schon: "God Bless you Eddie. I'll always remember the great times we had. My sincere condolences to all Family and friends. I am heart broken Broken. RIP Brother xo."
Paul Stanley of KISS wrote: "Oh NO! Speechless. A trailblazer and someone who always gave everything to his music. A good soul. I remember first seeing him playing at the Starwood in 1976 and he WAS Eddie Van Halen. So shocked and sad. My condolences to Wolfie and the family."
KIIS' Gene Simmons tweeted: "My heart is broken. Eddie was not only a Guitar God, but a genuinely beautiful soul. Rest in peace, Eddie!"

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City News Service contributed to this report.