Eddie Van Halen, considered one of rock music's greatest guitar players and a founding member of the hugely successful rock band named after him and his drummer brother, died of cancer on Tuesday (Oct 6), his son said on Twitter. He was 65.
Eddie Van Halen, revered guitarist and co-founder of the popular rock band Van Halen, has died of cancer, his son has announced. The Dutch-American musician, 65, had been undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
His band, Van Halen, were best known for their song Jump, which hit the top of the U.S. charts in 1984.
His son Wolfgang paid tribute to him on social media, saying he was the best father he could ever ask for.
"Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift," Wolfgang, who became Van Halen's bassist in 2006, wrote.
"My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."
Some of rock's biggest names have paid their respects to the "Mozart of rock guitar" on social media, with Kiss Singer Gene Simmons dubbing him a "guitar god".
Celebrity news website TMZ, which first broke news of his death, said Van Halen died at St Johns Hospital in Santa Monica, California on Tuesday surrounded by his family.
The guitarist had been in and out of hospital in the past year and recently underwent a round of chemotherapy, TMZ reported, citing sources.
Van Halen is survived by his son Wolfgang and his wife Janie Liszewski, whom he married in 2009.
