Local rockers have expressed an immense amount of gratitude toward legendary Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen following his death after a long battle with cancer.
Eddie Van Halen, 65, died October 6, after over a decade of battling throat cancer. His death left many local musicians shocked and saddened.
The story broke when Van Halen’s son and the band’s bassist, Wolfgang, posted the news on his personal Instagram, leading to a slew of articles across countless media outlets.
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“Honestly I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was a prank article,” Besart Sezairi, the guitarist of local hardcore band Outsiders, said.
It wasn’t until Sezairi began to see other artists paying tribute to the rock icon via social media that he was hit with the reality that Van Halen had passed.
Van Halen’s career took off in 1978 with his band’s self-titled album, kickstarting a career that spanned over four decades and saw multiple lineup changes.
Anthony McCall is the bassist for the prog-rock band Desert Mammoth and a devout fan of what has become known as the classic rock genre.
“He showed that, with determination and discipline, others can do just the same to develop a new way of playing for the whole world to enjoy just like he did. It’s not rocket science, it’s passion,” McCall said.
Van Halen was also heavily regarded as one of the best to ever play guitar.
“No one says guitar god without thinking of Eddie Van Halen,” Trey Sandoval, a local DJ who performs under the stage name of “Take Out,” said.
Whether fans grew up with his music or later on in life, his impact remained.
“I got into VH pretty late, but I loved his style of playing and how he used tapping but I wouldn’t say that I drew from his style. I can tell there are a lot of players out there that have,” Sezairi said.
Van Halen’s tapping style was best displayed in the song ‘Eruption,’ which featured Van Halen’s signature fast playing style and whaling guitar sound. The song appeared on the Van Halen self titled debut album.
Van Halen would later go on to collaborate with artists like Michael Jackson and have his own Guitar Hero video game.
The final touring lineup of Van Halen consisted of Eddie on guitar, brother Alex on drums, son Wolfgang on bass and founding vocalist David Lee Roth on vocals.
Whether you were a die hard fan of his or purely admired his style, Eddie Van Halen will always be remembered as being more than a guitar player or a musician.
“I hope he’s remembered as a family man and someone that lives life to the fullest and more than just a musician,” Sezairi said.
Contact the reporter at asgalla1@asu.edu.
