The death of guitarist Eddie van Halen (65) is a shock to the guitar world. That says guitarist and fellow generation Adje Vandenberg, known from Whitesnake, against RTL Nieuws.
Vandenberg (66) is currently in France and the news came as a shock to him on Tuesday evening: “It was known that he had been struggling with throat cancer for a longer period, but of course it remains unexpected. The news of his death has spread all over the world. what a legacy he leaves behind. ”
World hits
Van Halen was born in Amsterdam in 1955 and moved to the United States at the age of seven. With his brother Alex he formed the core of the band Van Halen, which had several world hits in the late 70s and early 80s, including Runnin ‘With the Devil and Jump.
According to radio DJ Michiel Veenstra (KINK), Eddie van Halen has influenced many artists. “Think of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, for example. Most people know the band from the world hit Jump, but he really was a guitar legend with Dutch roots.”
Multiple genres
According to Vandenberg, his way of playing transcends several genres. “A good example is Michael Jackson’s Beat It solo. It was very different from other guitarists at the time. It had a major influence on guitarists worldwide, comparable to Jimi Hendrix at the time,” says Vandenberg. “If you develop your own musical language. , then you are a very big one. ”
The two had not had much contact in recent years. “When I was still living in America, we regularly met and played together, but in recent years Eddie has withdrawn more.”
