Legendary rocker Eddie Van Halen lost his long battle with cancer on Tuesday. He was 65.
“I can’t believe I am having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” Wolf Van Halen tweeted to his many followers, along with a black-and-white photo of the famous guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Van Halen. The post was noted by Fox News.
“He was the best father I could ever ask for,” Wolf added. “Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off the stage was a gift. (RELATED: Legendary Comic Don Rickles Died At Age 90)
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020
Wolf went on to explain that his “heart is broken” and said he’s unsure how he will ever “fully recover” from the loss of his father. (RELATED: Hollywood Reacts To Death Of Legendary Actress Doris Day)
Sources with knowledge about the rocker’s death told TMZ, that he died Tuesday morning at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica accompanied by his wife, Janie, following a long battle with throat cancer that lasted more than a decade.
The same sources told the outlet that in the last 72 hours Eddie’s health took a dramatic turn for the worse after doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his brain as well as other organs.
Eddie will be remembered for the group he formed in 1972 with his brother Alex on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth as lead singer. The band found huge success in the 80s with hits like “Runnin’ with the Devil,” “Hot for Teacher,” “Panama” and much more.
In 2007, Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Eddie’s work as the guitarist commonly considered one of the greatest ever.