RIP Eddie Van Halen

[Beanz]

65. Cancer.

His playing like his smile was infectious and full of character unlike a lot of his imitators. That impish ability to endow a guitar lick with such bluesy innuendo is often missed and understandable when his technique was so blinding.

For me that is demonstrated as well in his mirroring Roths louche delivery in, Ice Cream Man, as in any other Van Halen song.

A million air guitarists were still not be able to keep up.

RIP Eddie.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

first thing i ever heard of him

[TitoFan]

Wow sad news. R.I.P. Eddie.

I could never think of Eddie without also thinking what a lucky S.O.B. he was, having married the not-too-shabby Valerie Bertinelli.

[Beanz]

[SlimTrae]

How many players finger tap & don't know who started it?! LOL! 1984 was my first time being introduced to an entire rock album. What a gem.
Eddie V. Go head & Jump!

[Dia bando]

Very sad remember seeing them backing BlackSabbath in the late 70s hell of a guitarist Eddie RIP.☹️

[Spicoli]

This one hits home. I remember some little kid stuffed in the back of an old Nova driven around by his sisters listening to Diver Down. I say "listening" as opposed to those sisters blaring it so they it drowned their little snotty brother out . I remember my paper route and using bungee cords to fasten a little Radio shack tape deck to my handle bars, riding to Licorice Pizza with the first pay and scooping up my first half dozen cassettes, 1984 right on top. Roth may have been one of the best front men music has known..but Van Halen was all Eddie Van Halen and the brothers. He was a master of his art form and left his soul on the strings. Rock on Eddie and thanks for the memories.

[greynotsoold]

A demo from 1976 of a song that ended up on Van Halen 2.

[SlimTrae]

I don't remember the 1st song I heard from him. But I do remember the 1st time I heard Spanish Fly. Every guitar store at the time, always had some guy showing how great he was by playing either eruption or Spanish fly.
Either way they were paying homage to a Guitar Hero.

[SlimTrae]

This was the ultimate band song- where every player got to strut!

[SlimTrae]

For me this was Eddie's funkiest riff, shit starts off groovin and then goes pure rock from there!!!

[SlimTrae]

& This was their BIG commercial/mainstream hit- well IMO.

[SlimTrae]

Steve Vai:
https://guitar.com/news/music-news/s...die-van-halen/

[SlimTrae]

And then all of a sudden, the savior appeared on the radio and spoke directly to me. I’ve never lost that excitement every time I hear his guitar playing.

He smiled and he let you know that it was all for fun.


His rhythm was impeccable and intoxicating, and his note choice was hysterically funny and brave.


But the Van Halen brothers — Eddie and Alex together — had a devastating attack to the beat. Their sense of the pocket is just so intense. It’s so recognizable. And that’s what invited the whole world to listen. There’s a little song [on 1984] that’s overlooked called “House of Pain.” You just listen to that, the way that they pound that rhythm. (hey I picked that song!!)

Joe Satriani
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...ibute-1071819/