Eddie Van Halen died at the age of 65 on Tuesday. He was a legendary guitarist and one of the founders of the famous rock group Van Halen, and it led to many sports stars paying tribute to him. Van Halen was battling throat cancer at the time of his death, and his son addressed the news on social media.
“He was the best father I could have ever ask for,” his son Wolf Van Halen wrote. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover. I love you so much, Pop.” Van Halen is considered one of the best rock groups of all-time. Eddie and Alex Van Halen. From 1974 to 1985, the group consisted of the Van Halen brothers, vocalist David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony. In 1985, Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar, and the group reached new heights, releasing four U.S. No. 1 albums in 11 years. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
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In an interview with Billboard magazine in 2015, Eddie Van Halen explained how he got cancer. “I used metal picks โ they’re brass and copper โ which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer,” he said at the time. “Plus, I basically live in a recording studio that’s filled with electromagnetic energy. So that’s one theory. 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. Here’s a look at some of the notable sports figures paying tribute to Van Halen.
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HE LOVED THE WRESTLING. EDDIE VAN HALEN IT BREAK MY HEART YOU HAVE SO MUCH TALENT AND YOU HELP TO MAKE THE ROCK AND ROLL I MISS YOU FOREVER #RIPEDDYVANHALEN pic.twitter.com/1jJHGtGtHc
โ The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) October 6, 2020
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An inspiration to many. One of a kind. #EddieVanHalen https://t.co/oFOCI8de95
โ Damian Priest ๐น (@ArcherOfInfamy) October 6, 2020
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RIP Eddie Van Halen pic.twitter.com/OzywXN7Vjm
โ Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 6, 2020
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Rest In Peace Eddie Van Halen! Thank you for rocking my childhood๐ค๐ผ. #legend pic.twitter.com/ixMUIgGMaZ
โ Vickie Guerrero (@VickieGuerrero) October 6, 2020
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Eddie Van Halen was, without a doubt, was one of the greatest guitarists in music history! Quincey Jones had him do the guitar solo in Michael Jacksonโs BEAT IT! A brilliant performer who will be missed and long remembered!!
โ Michael Buffer (@Michael_Buffer) October 6, 2020
R.I.P. LEGEND๐๐ https://t.co/4vq781l9bg
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Heartbreaking. ๐๐ฅ
โ Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) October 6, 2020
God Bless Eddie Van Halen
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The greatest guitar player of my generation.
#5150 https://t.co/wauvoF5sEB
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My brother introduced me to Van Halen at a young age and Eddie was the star w that guitar. Not the showman David Lee or the talented Sammy. It was always Eddie. RIP. https://t.co/KoDW4Wlt4e
โ Kevin Negandhi (@KNegandhiESPN) October 6, 2020
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Eddie Van Halen wasn’t A guitar god, he was THE guitar god. I couldn’t tell you the first time I heard Van Halen but I played those first six albums so many times they became part of me. Condolences to Alex and Wolfgang and the rest of his family. Thank you for sharing him. RIP.
โ Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson) October 6, 2020