Eddie Van Halen Death: 10 Things To Know About The Rock Legend

Eddie Van Halen who is known as one of the most influential guitarists died on Tuesday due to cancer. The rocker is known for introducing new sounds in hard rock.

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New Delhi: Rock star Eddie Van Halen who is known as the most influential guitarist of all time died on Tuesday due to cancer. The rocker known for playing the guitar in blinding speed had been battling cancer for several years. Tributes have poured in and many have expressed their shock on hearing the news. His ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli shared also heartfelt message on social media

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— Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) October 6, 2020

His only son Wolfgang Van Halen who is also a musician announced the news in social media and said that ‘he was the best father I could ask for’. Van Halen's music especially his guitar riffs defined an era and he became a cultural icon. He introduced new techniques in playing guitar such as the two-hand tapping method featured in the song 'Eruption '. Here are 10 things to know about the late rock star

• Edward Lodewijk van Halen was born in the Netherlands but the family migrated to Pasadena California in 1962.
• In 1972, he formed a rock group with his brother Alex (on drums), Michael Anthony (bass), and David Lee Roth  (vocals). They renamed the band 'Van Halen'
• The band's self-titled debut album reached number 19 on the Billboard music charts. The album is known as rock's most commercially successful album making them rock superstars.
• The debut album featured a cover of the Kinks song“You Really Got Me” which still popular with hard rock fans even today.
• In an interview Van Halen has stated that he has never been able to read music. Instead he learned everything from simply watching and listening. He would then improvise on the music.
• Van Halen became a cultural icon in the 80s and was even featured in the film Back To the Future. He provided the electric guitar riff for the scene in which the character Marty McFly tries to persuade his teenage father to ask his teenage mother out for a date.
• He became a pop culture icon after his iconic guitar solo was featured in Michael Jackson's hit song 'Beat It'.
• Considered as one of the greatest  guitar players of all time he was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007
• Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time.
• He is famous for his signature red-white-and-black guitar. He was ranked No. 1 on Guitar World‘s 2012 poll of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time and eighth on Rolling Stone’s 2015 list.