Eddie Van Halen‘s grief-stricken son Wolfgang Van Halen, 29, paid tribute to the legendary rockstar on what would have been his dad’s 66th birthday on Jan. 26. The musician took to Instagram to share a few heartwarming throwback videos dated 1994 when Wolf was just 3-years-old.
“Happy 66th Birthday, Pop. I wish I could give you the biggest hug and celebrate it with you. I love and miss you so much it hurts. I don’t even know how to put it into words. I’m doing my best to hold it together, but goddammit it’s really tough being here without you. Not a second has gone by where you haven’t been on my mind, and today will be no different. Love and miss you beyond words, Pop,” Wolf captioned the post along with a red heart emoji.
One clip of the father-son duo was dated Sep. 4 and another he shared from later that year on Christmas Eve. The videos show the incredible bond the two had as Eddie adorably plays with his young son while Wolf tucks himself inside his dad’s T-shirt and pops his head out through the neck. Wolf places his tiny feet on top of Eddie’s as they begin to walk together simultaneously. The other video is a short clip and reveals Eddie showing Wolf his own image in the camera as he says, “There’s Wolfie and daddy,” to which Wolf replies with glee, “Yeah!”
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020
Wolf, who played bass in Van Halen alongside his father and uncle, drummer Alex Van Halen, announced their disbandment shortly after his father’s untimely death on Oct. 6, 2020. After a lengthy battle with throat cancer for 20 years, Wolf, who Eddie shared with his first wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, revealed his 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 emotional tweet read. “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 the loss. I love you so much, Pop.”