Eddie Van Halen dies at age 65

Eddie Van Halen dies at age 65

Eddie van Halen, co-founder and guitarist of the hard rock band Van Halen, passed away Tuesday at the age of 65. His son Wolfgang van Halen reports this on Twitter. The Dutch-American guitarist died of throat cancer in a hospital in the American city of Santa Monica. His family was with him when he died.

The guitarist had been struggling with health problems for a long time, but the last year his situation worsened. In addition to treatments in the United States, he regularly went to Germany for help.

"I can't believe I have to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk van Halen, lost his long battle against cancer this morning," his son writes on Twitter. "He was the best father I could wish for. Every moment I had with him - both on and off stage - was a gift".

The musician is considered one of the most influential guitarists of all time. His solos on songs like Jump, Runnin' with the Devil and his guitar solo Eruption influence many other guitarists today. The famous song Ain't Talkin' 'bolt Dub' by the British electro group Apollo 440 used a sample of Van Halen's Ain't Talkin' 'bolt Love.

Van Halen was known for his creative use of guitar amplification, technique and effects. The two-hand tapping technique, in which he played the guitar neck with two hands, was often used by him.
Van Halen released album with help of KISS band member Simmons

The guitarist was born in Amsterdam in 1955 and lived the first years of his life in Nijmegen. In 1962 he emigrated with his parents to Pasadena (California) in the USA. There Van Halen learned to play piano and guitar at an early age.

Together with his older brother Alex he founded the hard rock group Mammoth in 1972, which was later renamed after Van Halen. In 1978 the group released a debut album with the help of KISS band member Gene Simmons. That album soon became platinum and was the big breakthrough for the band. The band sold more than 75 million albums worldwide.

Also Michael Anthony (bass) and David Lee Roth (vocals) were part of the band. Although the composition of the band changed a few times, Eddie van Halen and his brother Alex always remained part of the band.

Van Halen also worked on music by other famous artists, including the song Beat It by Michael Jackson. He was voted best guitarist ever by readers of Guitar World magazine in 2012. Van Halen was included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

The rock star leaves behind his wife Janie and his son Wolfgang.

Source:nu.nl (Dutch News Site)