Eddie Van Halen

(Redirected from Edward van Halen)

Edward Lodewijk Van Halen (/væn ˈhlən/ van HAY-lən, Dutch: [ˈɛtʋɑrt ˈloːdəʋɛik fɑn ˈɦaːlə(n)]; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex in 1972.

Eddie Van Halen
Van Halen performing at the New Haven Coliseum in 1978
Born
Edward Lodewijk van Halen[1]

(1955-01-26)January 26, 1955
Amsterdam, Netherlands
DiedOctober 6, 2020(2020-10-06) (aged 65)
Nationality
  • American
  • Dutch
EducationPasadena City College
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Years active1964–2020
Spouses
  • (m. 1981; div. 2007)
  • Janie Liszewski
    (m. 2009)
ChildrenWolfgang Van Halen
RelativesAlex Van Halen (brother)
Musical career
OriginPasadena, California, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • keyboards
Formerly ofVan Halen

Van Halen is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history[2] and was well known for popularizing the tapping guitar technique, allowing rapid arpeggios to be played with two hands on the fretboard. Rolling Stone named Van Halen the 4th greatest guitarist of all time in its list of the “250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” in 2023.[3]

Van Halen dealt with numerous health issues beginning in the 1990s. He died in October 2020 due to complications from throat cancer.[4]

Early life, family and education

edit

Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was born in Amsterdam on January 26, 1955,[5] the son of Jan van Halen and Eugenia (née van Beers). His father was a Dutch jazz pianist, clarinettist, and saxophonist working for the Dutch Air Force,[6] while his mother was an Indo woman from Rangkasbitung on the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).[7] After six years in Indonesia, the family moved to Amsterdam[6] and later moved to Nijmegen, Netherlands.[8]

After experiencing mistreatment for their mixed-race relationship in the 1950s,[9] the parents moved the family to the US in 1962. They settled near family members in Pasadena, California, where his father worked as a janitor, his mother as a maid.[5] Since the boys did not speak English as a first language, they were considered "minority" students and experienced bullying by white students.[9] They began learning the piano at age six,[10][11] commuting from Pasadena to San Pedro, Los Angeles, to study with an elderly piano teacher, Stasys Kalvaitis.[12]

Van Halen never learned to read music.[13] Instead, he watched recitals of Bach or Mozart repertoire and improvised. Between 1964 and 1967, he won first place in the annual piano competition at Long Beach City College.[12] Their parents wanted their sons to be classical pianists, but the boys gravitated towards rock music,[14] and were greatly influenced by 1960s British Invasion bands such as the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five.

Initially, Alex began playing the guitar, Eddie bought a drum kit; however, after he heard Alex's performance of the Surfaris' drum solo on the song "Wipe Out", he gave Alex the drums and began learning the electric guitar.[14] According to him, as a teen he often practiced while walking around at home with his guitar strapped on, or sitting in his room for hours with the door locked.[15][16]

Eddie and Alex formed their first band with three other boys. Calling themselves The Broken Combs, they performed at lunchtime at Hamilton Elementary School in Pasadena. Eddie cited this performance when he was in the fourth grade as key to his desire to become a professional musician.[17] He described supergroup Cream's "I'm So Glad" on the album Goodbye as "mind-blowing".[18] He once claimed that he had learned almost all of Eric Clapton's solos in the band Cream note for note. "I've always said Eric Clapton was my main influence," he said, "but Jimmy Page was actually more the way I am, in a reckless-abandon kind of way."[19] Speaking at an event at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in 2015, Van Halen discussed his life and the American Dream. "We came here with approximately $50 and a piano, and we didn't speak the language. Now look where we are. If that's not the American dream, what is?"[20]

Career

edit

Van Halen band

edit
 
Eddie performing with Van Halen in 2014

Eddie and his brother Alex formed the band Mammoth in 1972.[21] Two years later, David Lee Roth joined Mammoth as lead singer, and Mammoth officially changed its name to Van Halen. It became a staple of the Los Angeles music scene, playing at well-known clubs such as the Whisky a Go Go.[22][23] At a 1976 concert at The Starwood in California, the band opened for UFO. Kiss bassist Gene Simmons saw the performance and said,[24] "I was waiting backstage by the third song." He asked the band about their plans, and they said, "There is a yogurt manufacturer that is going to invest in us." Gene begged them not to go that route and invited them to record some demos at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, New York City. Gene signed them to his company, and the band recorded early demos of their songs, including "Runnin' with the Devil". Excited about the band, Gene approached Kiss manager Bill Aucoin and Kiss frontman Paul Stanley about them, but they dismissed his desire to sign them to Aucoin's management fold. Stanley later said he "rejected Van Halen to protect Kiss", and that they made an effort to make Gene drop the band to "keep Gene in check".[25] The discouraging words caused Gene to rip up the contract, and he "let them go" after feeling he may have held the band back. The next year, Warner Records offered Van Halen a recording contract.[26]

Eddie remained on good terms with Gene. It was rumored that Eddie nearly replaced guitarist Ace Frehley after his departure from Kiss in 1982, but that Gene talked him out of leaving Van Halen. However, neither Paul Stanley nor Eddie Van Halen remember this happening. Stanley did recall Eddie coming down to the studio, being "blown away" by their song "Creatures of the Night", and telling Stanley he wanted to get into playing keyboards. Stanley was confused at Eddie's interest in keyboards, but his interest resulted in the creation of "Jump".[27] The band's 1978 album Van Halen reached #19 on the Billboard pop music charts and was one of rock's most commercially successful debuts,[28] highly regarded as both a heavy metal and hard rock album.[29] By the early 1980s, Van Halen was one of the most successful rock acts of the time.[30]

Their album 1984 went five-times Platinum a year after its release.[31] Its lead single, "Jump", became the band's first and only #1 pop hit and brought them a Grammy nomination.[32] The band won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocals for the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.[33] In 2019, the band ranked 20th on the RIAA list of best-selling artists, with 56 million album sales in the US[34][35] and more than 100 million worldwide.[36][37] Additionally, Van Halen charted 13 number-one hits in the history of Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart; meanwhile, VH1 ranked the band seventh on a list of the top 100 hard rock artists of all time,[38] and, in 2007, Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[39] Individually, Van Halen received acclaim for his guitar work in the band.[40][41]

Other work

edit

Van Halen engaged in several projects outside of his band, including solo work and partnerships with his brother on film soundtracks such as The Wild Life, Twister, and Sacred Sin[42][43] as well as musical collaborations with Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, singer/songwriter Nicolette Larson,[44] Queen guitarist Brian May,[45] Sammy Hagar,[46] Black Sabbath,[47] Roger Waters,[48] Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, and LL Cool J.[49]

In 1982, Eddie Van Halen contributed the guitar solo to "Beat It", for Michael Jackson's album Thriller, which became the biggest selling album of all time.[50] Eddie became involved after The Who guitarist Pete Townshend became unavailable and recommended him.[51] Eddie met with Quincy Jones and Jackson. Unsure of what he could add to a pop song, he played along with the song and ended up restructuring it before adding the classic solo. In a 2012 CNN interview,[52] he said, "I listened to the song, and I immediately go, 'Can I change some parts?' I turned to the engineer and I go, 'OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.' Took him maybe 10 minutes to put it together. And I proceeded to improvise two solos over it." He added, "I was just finishing the second solo when Michael walked in. And you know artists are kind of crazy people. We're all a little bit strange. I didn't know how he would react to what I was doing. So I warned him before he listened. I said, 'Look, I changed the middle section of your song.' Now in my mind, he's either going to have his bodyguards kick me out for butchering his song, or he's going to like it. And so he gave it a listen, and he turned to me and went, 'Wow, thank you so much for having the passion to not just come in and blaze a solo but to actually care about the song and make it better." Eddie was so pleased, he refused payment for his work.[citation needed] Ironically, Jackson's Thriller went to the #1 spot on the charts, pushing Van Halen's album 1984 to #2.

In addition, Van Halen made cameo appearances in the music video for Frank Sinatra's "L.A. Is My Lady", an episode of Café Americain starring his then-wife Valerie Bertinelli, and an episode of Two and a Half Men.[53]

Equipment

edit

Guitars

edit

His first guitar, purchased as a child from Sears and Roebuck, was a Teisco Del Rey. He played the guitar in his elementary school band, The Broken Combs.[54] Van Halen played many custom-built and heavily modified guitars, especially early in his career. Upon embarking on his professional music career, he purchased a Gibson Les Paul, for which he replaced the original P90 pickup on the bridge with a humbucker in order to sound like Eric Clapton.[55] He later bought and briefly used a Gibson ES-335, also because of its association with Clapton, though he damaged the body while modifying it and it later became cannibalized for parts on numerous other home-build guitar projects. He also owned an Ibanez Destroyer that was used extensively on the debut Van Halen album. Originally used in its natural wood finish, he later painted it white and made several modifications to the electronics. After recording the album, he used a chainsaw to drastically modify the body shape, cutting a deep V into the bottom of the guitar, and painting it in a similar way to his later, more famous, Frankenstrat. Inset into the V, he hand carved teeth and set two eyehooks and chains; the new distinctive shape led to it being nicknamed "The Shark". He only played it for a short time in this state, however, as the modifications changed the tone of the guitar in an unsatisfactory way; he did retain the guitar for the rest of his life. The final state of the Shark can be seen on the cover of Women and Children First, where he posed with the guitar.[54]

Frankenstrat

edit
 
Van Halen's "Frankenstrat"

He is most associated with the Frankenstrat, a custom guitar he built from parts. Originally pictured on Van Halen's self-titled debut album, the maple neck cost $80, while the ash body was bought for $50 as the wood had a knot in it. The tremolo bridge was originally taken from a 1958 Fender Stratocaster, and was later replaced with a Floyd Rose tremolo. He frequently replaced the neck on the guitar, going through a number of different ones through the years, and the pickup configuration was also frequently changed. In its most commonly used configuration, the guitar had a single functional pickup, a Gibson PAF bridge pickup from his ES-335, which he enclosed with paraffin wax to prevent feedback. The middle pickup was removed and in its place he had stuffed a non-functional selector switch and random wires, while the neck pickup slot was replaced with a red single-coil pickup, that was also non-functional. The original selector switches and tone knobs were removed, and the volume knob was replaced with a knob labeled "TONE". The Frankenstrat, as shown on the cover of Van Halen I, was originally painted white with black stripes, but was recoated with Schwinn red bicycle paint in 1979.[56][54]

Before and during the recording of Van Halen II, he built a second "partscaster" guitar painted in a distinctive black-and-yellow striped paint job that earned it the moniker "The Bumblebee Guitar". That guitar was later donated to Rita Haney, the longtime partner of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, shortly after his death; it was placed in his casket and buried along with him.[57][54] Eddie Van Halen used a mini-Les Paul guitar for "Little Guitars" (Diver Down). This is the only Van Halen recording that the guitar was used for. The mini-Les Paul was made by Nashville luthier David Petschulat and was pitched and sold to him during a tour stop in Nashville, Tennessee. He later purchased a second mini-LP guitar, built to slightly different specs, the first being a honey-sunburst with mini-humbuckers, and the second being dark wine-red with a thicker body and full-size humbuckers.[58] In 1982, Van Halen made his first guitar endorsement by launching the Baretta model with Kramer. This partnership lasted a decade. In the mid-1980s, he purchased a Steinberger GL2T guitar. Its distinctive switch-operated vibrato system can be heard on the 5150 album. From 1991 to 1995, Van Halen worked with Ernie Ball / Music Man, developing the Music Man EVH model guitar, which was later renamed the Axis after the partnership ended. In 1996, Van Halen teamed up with Peavey, where they developed the Peavey EVH Wolfgang; this relationship lasted until 2004, when Van Halen joined forces with Fender, initially releasing the Edward-endorsed Art Series guitars under Fender's Charvel brand and later developing the EVH brand.[59] In 2006, Fender created the "Frank 2", a near-perfect production replica of the original Frankenstrat; Van Halen later claimed that when presented the two guitars in a blind comparison, he had some trouble picking out the original home-made guitar from Fender's production replica.[60] For Van Halen's 2012 tour, and early 2015 television appearances, he used a Wolfgang USA guitar with a black finish and ebony fretboard. For the 2015 tour, he used a white Wolfgang USA guitar designed by Chip Ellis, featuring a custom kill switch.[61]

Settings

edit

Van Halen's first string endorsement deal happened around 1989 when Ernie Ball launched the 5150 EVH line of guitar strings.[62] The gauge of the strings differed slightly from typical electric guitar strings at the time, which were 9, 11, 16, 24, 32 and 42 (in thousandths of an inch) - the EVH Ernie Ball strings measured 9, 11, 15, 24, 32 and 40.[63] After this endorsement deal ended, guitar strings became part of the Fender EVH line and are now sold as EVH Premium Strings.[64] Van Halen used a variety of pickups, including 1970s Mighty Mites, which were made by Seymour Duncan and were copies of DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups.[65] He also used Gibson PAFs, one of which was rewound by Seymour Duncan in 1978.[66] In an interview with Guitar World in 1985, Van Halen stated that his guitar sound style which he called "brown sound" is "...basically a tone, a feeling that I'm always working at ... It comes from the person. If the person doesn't even know what that type of tone I'm talking about is, they can't really work towards it, can they?"[67] In an interview with Billboard magazine in June 2015, he stated that with the expression "brown sound" he actually tried to describe the sound of his brother Alex's snare drum, which he thought "...sounds like he's beating on a log. It's very organic. So it wasn't my brown sound. It was Alex's."[67] In 1993, Van Halen collaborated with Peavey Electronics to develop a series of amplifiers and cabinets, collectively called the 5150 series, which ended in 2004. Van Halen then began work with Fender, developing the EVH products and brand.[68] In 2007, the first EVH branded amplifiers were produced by Fender, followed shortly after by a limited-edition "Frankenstrat" inspired guitar. In 2009, they continued to press forward on the guitar front by releasing the Wolfgang-inspired EVH guitar line. The brand has since expanded to include additional guitars and accessories.[69][70] Van Halen was awarded three patents related to guitars: a folding prop to support a guitar in a flat position,[71] a tension-adjusting tailpiece,[72] and an ornamental design for a headstock.[73]

Keyboards

edit

The first recorded keyboard work by Van Halen is "And the Cradle Will Rock...", written and performed on a Wurlitzer electric piano through a Marshall amp.[74] The riff for "Dancing in the Street" (on Diver Down) was written and performed on Minimoog.[75] "Jump" and "I'll Wait" were written and performed on an Oberheim OB-Xa,[76][77] while "Dreams", "Why Can't This Be Love"[78] and "Love Walks In" are with Oberheim OB-8. Eddie also wrote "When It's Love" and "Right Now"[79] on keyboards.

During the 5150 and OU812 tours, Eddie Van Halen would play keyboard parts live while Hagar played the guitar. From the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge tour, Van Halen played guitar throughout the concerts, while the keyboards were played backstage by touring keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald up through 2004, a fact kept low-key in the press.[75]

Style and influence

edit

Technique

edit
 
Van Halen using the tapping technique while performing at New Haven Coliseum in 1978

Van Halen's 1978 instrumental solo "Eruption", which was voted number 2 in Guitar World's readers poll of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos",[80][81] showcased the tapping technique, which uses both left and right hands on the guitar neck. Although he popularized tapping, he did not invent the technique. According to MusicRadar, Steve Hackett – lead guitarist with Genesis in the 1970s – is "widely credited with inventing two-handed tapping" and was an influence on Van Halen.[82] When asked about this, Hackett said, "Eddie and I have never spoken about it, but yes, he has credited me with tapping... Eddie is a fine player, of course, and he's the one who named the technique."[83]

George Lynch said in an interview that he and Van Halen saw Harvey Mandel tap at the Starwood in the 1970s.[84] Van Halen named Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin as an influence, saying in one interview with Guitar World:

"I think I got the idea of tapping watching Jimmy Page do his "Heartbreaker" solo back in 1971. He was doing a pull-off to an open string, and I thought wait a minute, open string ... pull off. I can do that, but what if I use my finger as the nut and move it around? I just kind of took it and ran with it."[85]

Until it expired in 2005, Van Halen held a patent for a flip-out support device that attaches to the rear of the electric guitar.[86] This device enables the user to employ the tapping technique by playing the guitar in a manner similar to the piano with the face of the guitar oriented upward instead of forward.[87][88][89]

Personal life

edit
 
Van Halen and his first wife, Valerie Bertinelli, in 1993

In 1980, Van Halen met actress Valerie Bertinelli at a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana.[90] They married in California eight months later on April 11, 1981, and had one son, Wolfgang, in 1991.[91][92] In 2005, Bertinelli filed for divorce in Los Angeles after four years of separation.[93] The divorce was finalized in 2007.[94] The following year, Eddie proposed to his girlfriend, Janie Liszewski, an actress and stuntwoman who was Van Halen's publicist at the time. The two married in 2009 at his Studio City estate, with his son Wolfgang and ex-wife Bertinelli in attendance.[95] His brother Alex Van Halen is an ordained minister, and he officiated Eddie's 2009 wedding and that of his former sister-in-law, Valerie Bertinelli, when she remarried in 2011.[96] In 2024, after Van Halen's death, his son Wolfgang disclosed that his dad drank due to anxiety and felt like he needed Wolfgang there to stay clean and sober.[97]

Illness and death

edit

Van Halen struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction throughout his life. He began smoking and drinking at the age of 12, and he stated that he eventually needed alcohol to function.[98] He entered rehabilitation in 2007,[99] and shared in a 2015 interview that he had been sober since 2008.[98] Van Halen was diagnosed with chronic avascular necrosis in 1995. After suffering from lingering injuries from past, high-risk, acrobatic stage performances and crashes, Eddie underwent hip replacement surgery in 1999.[100] Van Halen began receiving treatment for tongue cancer in 2000. The subsequent surgery removed roughly a third of his tongue. He was declared cancer-free in 2002.[101] He blamed the tongue cancer on his habit of holding guitar picks in his mouth, stating in 2015: "I used metal picks – they're brass and copper – which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer. ... I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it's possible."[101] In 2012, Van Halen underwent emergency surgery for a severe bout of diverticulitis.[102] Recovery time required due to the surgery led to postponement of Van Halen tour dates scheduled in Japan.[103] Van Halen was later hospitalized in 2019 after battling throat cancer over the previous five years, and his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli also mentioned a battle with lung cancer in an Instagram post shortly after his death.[104][105] Van Halen died of a stroke at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, on October 6, 2020, at the age of 65, surrounded by his wife, Janie; son and then-current bassist of Van Halen, Wolfgang; ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli; and brother and co-founder/drummer of Van Halen, Alex. His son, Wolfgang, confirmed his death on social media later that same day.[106][107][108] Some of Van Halen's childhood landmarks in Pasadena became memorials where fans could pay their respects.[109][110]

Legacy

edit

In February 2017, Van Halen donated 75 guitars from his personal collection to The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a program that provides musical instruments to students in low-income schools.[111] At the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, Eddie Van Halen was honored by several former musicians he worked with. Jack White from The White Stripes, G. E. Smith, Charlie Benante from Anthrax, and Dierks Bentley gave speeches as a tribute to his career.[112] Wolfgang Van Halen also shared several personal photos between him and his father.[113] On October 10, 2020, Saturday Night Live paid tribute by playing a clip of him performing with G. E. Smith from a February 1987 show, which was hosted by Valerie Bertinelli.[114] In 2020, the Pasadena Library, located in Pasadena, California, offered several archives and documents related to Eddie Van Halen. The collection included several albums, along with photographs by Neil Zlozower, and several CDs. The library also uploaded Van Halen's albums to Hoopla.[115] On November 16, 2020, his son Wolfgang Van Halen announced on The Howard Stern Show that Van Halen would not continue as a band, saying "You can't have Van Halen without Eddie Van Halen".[116] The Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute to Van Halen on their song "Eddie" from their 2022 album Return of the Dream Canteen.[117]

Discography

edit

With Van Halen

edit

Solo discography

edit

Guest appearances

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Archiefkaarten, archiefnummer 30238, inventarisnummer 307". Stadsarchief Amsterdam (in Dutch).
  2. ^ Greene, Andy (October 6, 2020). "Eddie Van Halen, Hall of Famer Who Revolutionized Guitar, Dead at 65". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  3. ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  4. ^ Griggs, Sandra Gonzalez,Brandon (October 6, 2020). "Eddie Van Halen dies at 65 after cancer battle". CNN. Retrieved March 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b Farber, Jim (October 7, 2020). "Eddie Van Halen, 65, Rock Original With Lightning in His Fingers, Dies". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b "Remembering Van Halen, guitar legend with Indonesian roots". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Dodds, Kevin (2011). Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography. p. 2. Thus was born a Eurasian woman in 1914 with the markedly Dutch name of Eugenia van Beers in the Dutch East Indies.
  8. ^ Dodds, Kevin (2011). Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography. p. 4.
  9. ^ a b "Eddie Van Halen endured a 'horrifying racist environment' before becoming a rock legend". NBC News. October 9, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Q&A: Eddie Van Halen". Rolling Stone. April 16, 1998. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  11. ^ AllMusic.org; accessed December 1, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "VH Interviews". van-halen.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  13. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Interview". Esquire. April 17, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  14. ^ a b Van Halen, Eddie (1978). "Transcript". jasobrecht.com (Interview). Interviewed by Jas Obrecht. Jas Obrecht. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  15. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Birthday Special". Lick Library. January 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2013. However, when Alex started to then learn to play drums, overtaking Eddie's own abilities, the younger of the two switched to guitar instantly becoming attached to it – locking himself away in his bedroom as a teen to practice, and walking around the house with his guitar strapped on yet unplugged.
  16. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Biography, Videos & Pictures". GuitarLessons.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2013. In an interview with Guitar World, Eddie explained his practice ethic during his teenage years. 'I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Schlitz Malt talls. My brother would go out at 7 p.m. to party and get laid, and when he'd come back at 3 a.m., I would still be sitting in the same place, playing guitar. I did that for years – I still do that.'
  17. ^ Van Halen 2012 Interview on YouTube
  18. ^ Slacker Inc. "AOL Radio Stations". AOL Radio. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  19. ^ "Eddie Van Halen". Guitar World. February 1990 – via Classicvanhalen.com.
  20. ^ "Necessity Is the Source of Eddie Van Halen's Inventions | The Takeaway". zocalopublicsquare.org. February 14, 2015.
  21. ^ "Eddie van Halen". Retrieved August 13, 2007.
  22. ^ "Van Halen – Biography & History". AllMusic.
  23. ^ "Eddie Van Halen". Guitar Player. January 2000. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  24. ^ "Gene Simmons recalls producing early Van Halen demos — and why he tore up their contract: 'They owe me nothing'". Yahoo!. January 24, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "'We rejected Van Halen in 1976 to protect Kiss' admits Paul Stanley". loudersound.com. September 15, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  26. ^ Obrecht, Jas. "A Legend is Born Eddie Van Halen's First Interview". Musician's Friend. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  27. ^ Blabbermouth (February 10, 2021). "PAUL STANLEY Says He Doesn't Know If EDDIE VAN HALEN Wanted To Join KISS Nearly 40 Years Ago". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  28. ^ "1970s: 100 Best-Selling Albums". All Info About Web Almanac. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007.
  29. ^ "Rolling Stone Top 500". Rhino. #401-450. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009.
  30. ^ Vonder Haar, Pete (January 9, 2019). "Van Halen's 1984 Turns 35 Today, Is At Least The Second Best Work With That Title". Houston Press.
  31. ^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum Awards". RIAA. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  32. ^ "Van Halen Bio". Yuddy.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  33. ^ "34th Annual Grammy Award Winners". Los Angeles Times. February 26, 1992.
  34. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  35. ^ "Van Halen band career statistics". November 8, 2010. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  36. ^ "Van Halen to Release First Concert Album With David Lee Roth". Billboard. February 7, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  37. ^ Gonzales, Victor (April 5, 2012). "Van Halen at BankAtlantic Center April 10". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  38. ^ "Rock the Net-VH1: 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists". Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  39. ^ "Van Halen". rockhall.com. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
  40. ^ Duss, Matthew (September 7, 2007). "The Rise and Stall of Van Halen". The American Prospect.
  41. ^ Pond, Steve (July 14, 1988). "Van Halen Feel the Burn". Rolling Stone.
  42. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Scores Porn". spin.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  43. ^ "AVN". Spin. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  44. ^ Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1773054797. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  45. ^ Doherty, Andy (September 3, 2009). "Brian May – Star Fleet Project (1983)". Rock Album Reviews. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012.
  46. ^ Scapelliti, Christopher (June 26, 2015). "Sammy Hagar Finally Reveals Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Part on His 1987 Solo LP". Guitar Player. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  47. ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry (January 1, 2007). Metal: The Definitive Guide. Jawbone Press. ISBN 9781906002015. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  48. ^ "Lost Boys Calling – Eddie Van Halen, Roger Waters". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  49. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Teams Up With LL Cool J". Guitar World. April 2, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  50. ^ Shields, Gerard (April 22, 1983). "Motown going strong into the '80s". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012.. Daily Collegian.
  51. ^ Kielty, Martin (October 14, 2020). "Pete Townshend Turned Down Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' Invite". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  52. ^ Cordero, Rosy. "Eddie Van Halen recorded a rockin' guitar solo for Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' for free". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  53. ^ "Eddie Van Halen on Two and a Half Men". YouTube. September 22, 2009. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  54. ^ a b c d Keith Williams (August 3, 2022). The Guitars of Eddie Van Halen:A Short History (YouTube video). Five Watt World. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  55. ^ "Eddie Van Halen – Les Paul Gold Top 57'". Whatgear.
  56. ^ "Eddie Van Halen – How I Built My Frankenstrat". Ultimate Guitar. October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  57. ^ Kielty, Martin (December 8, 2018). "Why Eddie Van Halen Buried his 'Van Halen II' guitar with Dimebag Darrell". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  58. ^ David Petschulat - 2015
  59. ^ "Eddie Van Halen's Guitars and Gear". Ground Guitar. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  60. ^ Gotlieb, Jed (August 27, 2020). "The History of Eddie Van Halen's 12 Most Famous Guitars". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  61. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Reveals Secrets Behind His Live Rig: Guitars, Amps, Effects and More". Guitar World. January 26, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  62. ^ "Sterling Ball on his Association with Eddie Van Halen". Van Halen News Desk. February 26, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  63. ^ Airey, Chris (October 4, 2015). "EVH Strings and Things". Project EVH. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  64. ^ "Accessories". www.evhgear.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  65. ^ "History". Wayne Guitars. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010.
  66. ^ "Interviews – Eddie Van Halen". vhlinks.com. December 29, 1979.
  67. ^ a b "Does Eddie Van Halen See Colors When He Hears Music? The Guitarist Addresses the Rumors". Billboard.
  68. ^ "Timeline". peavey.com. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  69. ^ "The Wolfgang Saga: How 3 Brands Built Eddie Van Halen's Signature Guitar". reverb.com. August 26, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  70. ^ "EVH® Brand Guitars, Amplifiers and Musical Products". www.evhgear.com. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  71. ^ "Musical instrument support". Retrieved December 1, 2017 – via google.com.
  72. ^ "Stringed instrument with adjustable string tension control". US Patent. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  73. ^ "United States Patent Des. 388,117 for Guitar Peghead". United States Patent and Trademark Office. December 23, 1997. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  74. ^ "And The Cradle Will Rock..." Van Halen News Desk. April 14, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  75. ^ a b "The History of Eddie Van Halen and Keyboards". Ultimate Classic Rock. January 26, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  76. ^ "EDDIE VAN HALEN- THE KEYBOARDIST: REMEMBERING THE GUITAR HERO'S GREATEST SYNTH MOMENTS". Glide Magazine. October 13, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  77. ^ Graff, Gary (January 9, 2014). "Van Halen's '1984' At 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  78. ^ OB-8 patch "Rock Unison"
  79. ^ "Van Halen Links.com - Interviews - Eddie Van Halen - 1998 ::. Fuzz Magazine". Vhlinks.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  80. ^ About.com Archived March 5, 2016, at archive.today, 100 Greatest Guitar Solos; accessed December 1, 2017.
  81. ^ Rollingstone.com, 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
  82. ^ "Steve Hackett talks Wolflight, phrasing and the nylon knack". musicradar.com. April 29, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  83. ^ "Steve Hackett: how I invented finger tapping". musicradar.com. April 30, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  84. ^ "Interview: George Lynch". themetalden.com. March 15, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  85. ^ Van Halen: VH1 Archived January 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Guitar World; accessed December 1, 2017.
  86. ^ U.S. Patent No. 4,656,917, Musical instrument support, April 14, 1987, Edward L. Van Halen, inventor.
  87. ^ "Musical instrument support". Patents.google.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  88. ^ Greenfield, Rebecca (February 4, 2011). "Celebrity Invention: Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Support System". The Atlantic.
  89. ^ Van Halen, Edward L. (April 14, 1987). "United States Patent: 4656917". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  90. ^ "A Guitar Hero Picks His Bride". Entertainment Weekly. April 11, 1997. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  91. ^ Carter, Maria (June 30, 2017). "Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen's Wedding Day Was Actually Really Sad". Country Living.
  92. ^ "Eric Stonestreet Posts the Best Video of Valerie Bertinelli at Van Halen Show". People.
  93. ^ "Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen to Divorce". People.
  94. ^ "Valerie Bertinelli About Divorce From Eddie Van Halen: 'I Wasn't An Angel Either'". Fox News. Associated Press. March 25, 2015.
  95. ^ "Eddie Van Halen – in Flip-Flops – Weds Girlfriend". People. June 27, 2009.
  96. ^ "Alex Van Halen Bio". Vhnd.com. June 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  97. ^ "Big thanks to Wolf Van Halen for stopping by the studio!". rigglespicks via Instagram. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  98. ^ a b Klosterman, Chuck (June 19, 2015). "Billboard Cover: Eddie Van Halen on Surviving Addiction, Why He's Still Making Music and What He Really Thinks of David Lee Roth (and Other Past Van Halen Bandmates)". Billboard. Los Angeles, California.
  99. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (June 9, 2007). "Eddie Van Halen Enters Rehab Facility, Skipping Rock Hall". Billboard. Los Angeles, California.
  100. ^ Hamblin, James (August 30, 2012). "Colon Eruption: Stay Strong, Eddie Van Halen". The Atlantic.
  101. ^ a b Britton, Luke Morgan (June 19, 2015). "Eddie Van Halen blames guitar picks for giving him tongue cancer". NME.
  102. ^ Childers, Chad (August 29, 2012). "Eddie Van Halen Undergoes Emergency Surgery". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  103. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Has Emergency Surgery, Van Halen Tour Dates Postponed". Loudwire.com. September 9, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  104. ^ Kaufman, Spencer (November 18, 2019). "Eddie Van Halen hospitalized due to complications from cancer drugs: Report". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  105. ^ "Valerie Bertinelli on Instagram: "40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you. You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang. Through all your…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  106. ^ Appleford, Steve (October 6, 2020). "Eddie Van Halen, grinning guitar god for a rock generation, dies at 65". Los Angeles Times.
  107. ^ Farber, Jim (October 6, 2020). "Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65". The New York Times.
  108. ^ Price, Steve (October 6, 2020). "San Diegans react to death of rock icon Eddie Van Halen". cbs8.com.
  109. ^ Bermont, Bradley (October 8, 2020). "Photos: Eddie Van Halen's childhood landmarks have become memorials for Pasadena's guitar god". Pasadena Star News. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  110. ^ "Eddie Van Halen Cremated, Ashes to be Scattered in Ocean Off Malibu". TMZ. December 13, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  111. ^ Kreps, Daniel (February 22, 2017). "Eddie Van Halen Donates Guitars to Low-Income Schools' Music Programs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  112. ^ "2020 Billboard Awards Pays Tribute to Eddie Van Halen". Loudwire. October 15, 2020.
  113. ^ Childers, Chad (October 14, 2020). "Wolfgang Van Halen Shares Heart Tugging Photo Tribute to Eddie Van Halen". Townsquare Media. Loudwire. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  114. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (October 11, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Pays Tribute To Eddie Van Halen". Deadline. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  115. ^ "LIBRARY OFFERS BOUNTY OF EDDIE VAN HALEN OFFERINGS". Pasadena Now. Pasadena, California. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  116. ^ Hiatt, Brian (November 16, 2020). "Van Halen Considered Reunion Tour With Both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  117. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Tease Eddie Van Halen-Inspired Song 'Eddie'". ultimateclassicerock.com. September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.

Bibliography

edit

Further reading

edit
edit