The Big C claims another before his time. 2020 reminds us again that, though physically impossible, it both sucks and blows.
NOOO!! Van Halen was my favorite band until David Lee Roth left. Even then I still liked them with Sammy. My favorite concert of all time was Monsters of Rock @ Rice Stadium in 1988. Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, Metallica & Kingdom Come. Van Halen was the closer. I was on the field all day and through the day the stadium was mostly empty but the field was pretty full. By the time they went on I worked my way forward and was literally about 30 feet from the stage while the entire stadium was packed. Unbelievable show! RIP Eddie!!
Whoa, I didn’t know he was sick. My first decent guitar I bought as a kid was a Strat because Eddie played one. And that’s where our similarities as musicians ended! Eddie was a trailblazer, so unique. Maybe not everyone’s taste but for many young guitar players he was just a talent at a whole different level. RIP Eddie
Huge loss... but not like Hendrix, Joplin or Morrison in their prime. Van Halen of course dominated the testosterone landscape in the late 70's. They were made of shock and awe, which was felt by me and all my friends. They just shoved everything else off the turntable. They sounded so modern, but dripping with crotch and humor. I saw them on their first major tour, opening up for Black Sabbath. This was in San Antonio. It was a definite changing of the guard. I was a huge Black Sabbath fan and this was going to be an epic night. But Black Sabbath had equipment troubles, having to abort several songs and weathered the boos... Van Halen kick major *** and the generation torch was passed. I saw them again in 1980 when they were in peak condition. It was the loudest concert I've ever seen (heard?). I almost had to leave. David Lee Roth was such a showman that he almost upstaged Eddie. It was a crazy night of incredible virtuosity. The eponymous album, Fair Warning and 1984 were my favorites. Mean Streets is pretty much it for me if I had to pick a VH song with my last meal. RIP Eddie. You were truly a bad-*** human being.
Did the same VH, but at the Cotton bowl in Dallas (Monsters of Rock)--they had to cut their show short, Sammy was having voice problems---ended up putting on a free concert 3 yrs later in the West End--crazy times! I remember, once, my brother and I played "Cathedral" for my dad on Diver Down (yeah, I know, probably their worst with DLR) and we had a difficult time convincing my dad that the instrument was a guitar being played and not some type of keyboard--he definitely took the guitar to a new level!!
My big brother bought me a Van Halen ticket for Reunion Arena when I was 16. Eddie jumped off a stack to Unchained to open it up. Ticket was $13. Rest In Peace Eddie. You made lots of memories for me in high school. F2020 and FTH
As great as he was, I don’t think he was the best musician in his family. His bro Alex is arguably the best rock drummer ever.
A lot of my musical heroes are dying. I was more into Punk and Alternative in the 80's but I liked Van Halen especially with DLR. Did not like the Sammy Hagar years as much. RIP EVH! You lived a good life.
One of my all time favs! The Rock and Roll HOF here in Cleveland will be blasting Van Halen music all day today (they have outdoor speakers) and have lowered the Rock and Roll HOF flag to half staff. RIP Eddie! You were a true legend and will never be forgotten!
Great memories of EVH! He just blew me away when I saw Van Halen from the 3rd row in Austin at the old Municipal Auditorium in '78, especially on "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love". My friends from a few rows back still remind me of seeing me pumping my hands in the air to "hey, hey, hey, hey" at the end of that song. RIP Eddie Van Halen.
