Eddie Van Halen is being mourned by one of the closest people to him: his son Wolfgang Van Halen, 29, as well as other celebs who were close to him. The grief-stricken musician shared a smiling photo of his late dad, who died at the age of 65 after a battle with throat cancer on Oct. 6, along with a message announcing his death, which also revealed his own feelings of devastation. “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,” his tweet read.
“He was the best father I could ever ask for,” he continued. “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.”
Wolf’s message came around the same time reports of Eddie’s death started to make headlines before he confirmed it. The Van Halen co-founder reportedly passed away at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, CA with Wolf, as well as his wife, Janie, and his brother and drummer Alex, by his side. His health reportedly went downhill in the last 72 hours when doctors discovered the cancer had went to his brain and other organs. Ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli was there by his side to hold him in his last moments.
Eddie’s throat cancer battle, which he had privately been going through for the last 20 years, was first reported in Oct. 2019. He had been getting radiation treatment for it in Germany over the last five years, TMZ reported, which helped to keep the disease manageable. He was also reportedly in and out of the hospital over the past year when he had intestinal issues and underwent a round of chemo.
In addition to Wolf, who has been a member of Van Halen with his dad and uncle since replacing Michael Anthony in 2006, other musicians, friends, and admirers of Eddie shared tributes on social media. Sammy Hagar, who was a part of Van Halen for many years, shared a smiling photo of himself with Eddie on Twitter and wrote the caption, “Heartbroken and speechless. My love to the family.” Gene Simmons retweeted his death announcement and added his own heartfelt words. “My heart is broken. Eddie was not only a Guitar God, but a genuinely beautiful soul. Rest in peace, Eddie!” he wrote.
Billy Idol shared a series of photos of Eddie with the caption, “Rest in peace guitar legend Eddie Van Halen. We will miss you. #f*ckcancer.” Actor George Takei published a tweet that read, “Rock and roll lost a great man today. Eddie Van Halen, your guitar was legendary, and your music will live on forever” while musician Questlove wrote, “Guitar Hero is an understatement. Van Halen forever man.”
Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers also shared a sentiment about Eddie in a tweet. “Oh man, bless his beautiful creative heart. I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi tonight. Break through to the other side my brother,” it read. Former Van Halen singer, Gary Cherone, who joined the band in 1996, also took to his Twitter to share some words. “Whether you were blessed to have known him or not, He was a kind and gentle soul… His impact on ALL our lives was immeasurable! His music, eternal! My deepest sympathies to the Van Halen family… Love you Ed #LongLiveTheKing!” his tweet read.
Other celebs who spoke out about how much Eddie meant to them include John Mayer, Chris Rock, James Woods, and more. Our comfort and healing thoughts go out to all those affected by Eddie’s death.