Hailin’ Rock Heaven: Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020), Long Live Van Halen

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

It was fluke that night at Glen Helen when we, a lead rock guitarist who shall remain nameless, got nearly front row seats at to see VAN HALEN in 2015. Even though Kenny Wayne Shepherd opened on that Saturday evening of July 11th, everybody was there for that dynamic duo of Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth. They were the reunited oldsters of rock, or “Rockers with Walkers” that would go on the crush it after Shepherd’s set rung to a close. As an added bonus, Wolfgang “Wolife” Van Halen was playing with them… and so it goes today, Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 6, 2020, that this Shedder is dead.

Say what you will about Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Brian May, Ted Nugent, Eric Clapton, or even Jimi Hendrix… Eddie Van Halen was the King of Danceable Rock, and the one guy who could make you move even if you weren’t specifically a heavy metal fan.

That’s because this second generation musician with the immigrant classic musical father was never heavy in his fretwork, but so light across the board that “V” in Van Halen’s logo was more like a lightning strike of sound.

I’m not a musician, but I married and divorced one, and spent way too long with another lead guitarist who was almost on a par with Eddie, and took me to “you gotta see Eddie play before you die” on that memorable occasion, now bittersweet with the passing of this brilliant musician from throat cancer that spread to his brain. But nothing will never kill his music.

That 7-11-2015 Eddie Van Halen Solo for 10.49 mins, wow, you can hear us screaming here

Eddie and David Lee Roth Fan Photo by Us That Night

And just as a reminder how innovative and good-crazy Eddie Van Halen was? “Panama”!

Panama Like There’s No Tomorrow

#RIPEddie Jan. 26, 1955 – Oct. 6, 2020 “this one hurts,” as they announced on 95.5 KLOS-FM in LA today.

Go visit Van Halen on the interwebs…

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