PHIL ANSELMO Remembers EDDIE VAN HALEN As "An All-Time Great; A Massive Innovator With An Iconic Smile"; ERIC PETERSON, ALEX SKOLNICK, MARK MORTON, JOHN 5 And Others Pay Tribute
October 7, 2020, 3 years ago
The world continues to mourn the passing of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen, who passed away yesterday (October 6) following a long battle with cancer. More artists have stepped up to pay tribute.
“Eddie Van Halen was an all-time great; a massive innovator with an iconic smile. He will be mourned. RIP Big Brother.” - Philip H. Anselmo
"Edward Van Halen is the world's greatest guitar hero. Pushing the limits of technical ability, innovation and style, Eddie single handedly set the standard of what rock guitar playing was for his own generation and the ones that followed. His impact was not confined solely to the mastery of guitar. As a songwriter, Edward’s pop sensibility and song craft propelled his band Van Halen through decades of worldwide, chart topping success, weathering extreme shifts in popular music trends. His impact on rock music cannot be measured. Eddie Van Halen is the sole reason I ever dreamed of playing guitar. Literally millions of people all over the world have found a passion for music through his work. I am grateful to have been one of them. Eddie Van Halen will be loved and celebrated forever." - Mark Morton (Lamb Of God)
"First of all its really weird... I’ve been listening to first album a lot during quarantine and thinking how did this record stand the test of time? I was at a music store two days ago and I saw the EVH guitar and fell in love. So I put it on layaway - then today I was supposed to pick it up. Then I heard the news... What the hell!!! Eddie is my favorite guitar player and made an impact on me and set me on the path of who I am today. His music was the soundtrack of my middle school years - his music will live on forever. Eddie changed the way guitar players look at guitar for sure. He didn’t want to be the fastest, he wanted people to remember his songs and he had everything. And now I’m going to learn all of those Van Halen songs all night. I’m tripping out… I’m going to pick up that guitar right now. My condolences to his family." - Eric Peterson (Testament, DragonLord)
“It goes without saying that Eddie Van Halen had not only a huge influence on me but on the entire stratosphere of guitar based music. I vividly remember sitting in my room and learning songs like 'Ain’t Talkin 'Bout Love', 'Eruption' and 'Panama' as a young pre-teen and those will always be my favorite moments. He was a very talented artist and from what I hear just an all around decent human being. He will be missed.” - Diamond Rowe (Tetrarch)
“What can you say about one of the true gods of guitar? Lots! And not enough. As a guitarist he truly inspired me and lit a fire under my butt... When I was a kid and heard that self-titled debut album from Van Halen, my brain couldn’t grasp that a human being made those sick sounds from a guitar. Every album Eddie did afterward continued to explore the guitar in crazy ways. Van Halen's first album changed everything and Eddie set a bar that was high - many guitarists reached for it, many were inspired, but no one could touch the style and energy that was the OG EVH. His sick tone and immortal riffs, innovative two-handed-tapping, harmonics, whammy bar warfare... and the FUN he exuded when tearing it up Live was ALL infectious. He was also a brilliant inventor. He may have called his guitar Frankenstein, but he was the true genius behind all his creations. Thanks for touching my life and inspiring me, Eddie Van Halen. I’m one among millions who grateful to have seen you play, to have been touched by your music - and many more will appreciate you for generations ‘til the end of time. Travel well, God.” - Jeremy Wagner (Broken Hope)
"I finally heard 'Mean Street' when I was 14 and it was all over. I could wait no longer, I needed a guitar. And Eddie Van Halen was my ultimate inspiration. I couldn’t believe he was human- surely he was from another planet… part Virtuoso, part Harpo Marx and he wrote the best Riffs on earth." - Brendon Small (Dethklok, Metalocalypse, Galaktikon)
“Eddie Van Halen was needless to say a guitar icon, but also a brilliant songwriter, musician and innovator of music. I’m grateful to be able to say I saw his magic on stage many times and his music has been a part of every one of my radio shows since I started back in 1983. I got the first Van Halen album when it first came out and I’ll never forget the impact it had on me. RIP Eddie and condolences to his fans, friends and family.” - Eddie Trunk
"It is difficult to express how deep the loss of Eddie Van Halen for musicians, especially guitarists. It is hard to think of anyone else in our lifetimes who has influenced so many and to such a strong degree. In the musical landscape of the late 70s and early 80s, the group known as Van Halen arrived on the scene like a supersonic jet appearing ahead of the aviation age. Yet for all the massive heights reached by Van Halen the band, Van Halen the guitarist had an impact that went far beyond that and continues decades later. His soloing techniques may have gotten the lions share of attention (understandable, as they were nothing short of revolutionary), yet Eddie was a true renaissance man in every aspect of music he approached: riffing, songwriting, arrangement, tone, even fashion. After all, his striped patterns - first applied to his guitars, later jumpsuits, sneakers and other clothing items - are one of the most easily identifiable images in music. He changed our sound. He changed our look. He changed our technique. He raised standards of playing for musicians of all styles and genres and will continue to do so for many years to come. Farewell to our greatest guitar hero." - Alex Skolnick (Testament, Alex Skolnick Trio, Stu Hamm Band, Metal Allegiance)
"Eddie Van Halen was a modern day Mozart and it is just so sad to see him go he was so young. He is immortal and will live on forever. He was an inventor and the greatest guitar player of all time... The thing is, he took guitar to such new places that no one has done before and he was just such an incredible player, and on top of all of that he was an incredible songwriter too. Anyone who ever picked up a guitar has played a Van Halen riff. Eddie was like someone we all might never again see the likes of in this world - he was that special. Thank you for changing the world." - John 5 (Rob Zombie, John 5 and the Creeps)
Eddie Van Halen was 65 when he passed away yesterday at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, and Alex, Eddie's brother.
Wolfgang posted the following message via Instagram: "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. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."
(Top photo - Joe Kleon)
