Eddie Van Halen

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

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.

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]

  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)