Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist of hard-rock band Van Halen, died on Tuesday at the age of 65, his son announced.
"I can't believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning," Wolfgang Van Halen wrote on Twitter.
"He was the best father I could ever ask for ... My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss," the statement continued.
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020
Van Halen founded the eponymous band, one of the most popular rock acts ever, with his brother Alex.
Their 1984 song "Jump" became an international chart hit and remains a classic party tune.
Born in the Netherlands, the brothers were raised in California, where they began playing the guitar and drums and winning music competitions at a young age.
"Most people, they want to go to Hollywood. They want to be a star," Van Halen said in a rare interview with the magazine Esquire.
"That thought never entered any of our minds, the Van Halen family."
Tributes
Tributes flooded in on Tuesday for Eddie Van Halen.
Nikki Sixx, co-founder of the rock band Motley Crue, described himself as "crushed" by the news.
"RIP Eddie Van Halen. You changed our world. You were the Mozart of rock guitar. Travel safe rockstar," Sixx tweeted.
David Lee Roth, Van Halen's former bandmate, wrote "What a Long Great Trip It's Been.." and posted a black-and-white picture of the pair together.
Sammy Hagar, a former Van Halen frontman, shared a picture of him and the guitarist together. 'Heartbroken and speechless. My love to the family," he said.
