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(CNN) –– Eddie Van Halen, the renowned guitarist of the iconic rock group Van Halen, has died, according to a post by his son on social media. He was 65 years old.
“He was the best father I could ask for,” wrote his son, Wolf Van Halen, in a note posted on Twitter. “Every moment I have shared with him on and off stage was a gift.”
Wolf Van Halen, the son of Eddie and Valerie Bertinelli, said his father died this Tuesday morning after a “long and arduous battle with cancer.” Van Halen married actress Janie Liszewski in 2009.
“My heart is broken and I don’t think I will ever fully recover from this loss,” added her son.
Eddie Van Halen, whose full name was Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, and his brother Alex Van Halen began performing together as teenagers, but they formed the core of what would later become Van Halen after meeting David Lee Roth.
Over four decades, Van Halen released more than a dozen albums.
Van Halen’s guitar magic anchored the band through four turbulent decades of platinum albums, sold-out tours and a revolving door of lead singers, from David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar, Gary Cherone and back to Hagar and Roth again.
Eddie Van Halen’s path
His solos crackled like lightning and fueled all of the band’s signature songs: “Runnin ‘With the Devil,” “Panama,” “Hot For Teacher,” “Why Can’t This Be Love?” and, of course, “Jump,” their only number one hit, which topped the pop singles charts in 1984.
Van Halen also lent his guitar skills to Michael Jackson for “Beat It,” the 1983 smash hit from the iconic album “Thriller” that fused Jackson’s silky pop with a touch of harder rock.
Speaking to CNN in 2017, after making a charitable contribution to help raise money for school music programs, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer noted the role music played in his history.
“My whole life has been music,” he told CNN’s John Vause. “I could not imagine anything else.”
When news of Van Halen’s death broke, his friends and fellow musicians paid tribute to the one-of-a-kind talent.
KISS ‘Gene Simmons wrote on Twitter: “Eddie was not only a guitar god, but a truly beautiful soul.”
Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler called Van Halen “one of the best, most down-to-earth men I have ever met and traveled with.”
“A true gentleman and a true genius”, wrote on Twitter.
On Facebook, Ted Nugent said: “Thank you Eddie for revitalizing, enriching and stimulating our lives with your brilliant gifts and vision. Enjoy my friend. Keep going”.
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