Wolfgang ‘Wolf’ Van Halen paid tribute to his father, legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who passed away yesterday at the age of 65 following a long battle with cancer.
Eddie Van Halen is the co-founder of rock band Van Halen, which had world-renowned success ever since it was formed in Pasadena, CA, in 1972. Eddie was considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Eddie’s 29-year-old son Wolf has been a member of the band since 2006, and it was Wolf who broke the tragic news that his dad had lost his battle with cancer.
Wolf Van Halen took to Instagram and Twitter to post a moving tribute to his father. Wolf put up a beautiful black and white photo of the guitar strumming legend, which showed the great man with a massive big grin on his face.
Wolf began the post by saying that he couldn’t believe he was “having to write this,” but sadly, his father “Edward Lodewijk Van Halen,” had passed away after a long battle with cancer.
He continued by stating: “He was the best father I could ever ask for.” He added that every moment with his father was a gift, both on and off the stage.
Wolf then said, “My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss,” and finished up by saying, “I love you so much, Pop.”
Wolf Van Halen’s touching tribute to dad
At the time of writing this article, Wolf’s Twitter post had received 0ver 500,000 likes and nearly 40,000 retweets. The same post on Instagram had received nearly 200,000 likes and countless messages of condolence.
Wolf’s two posts were flooded with condolences from thousands of people across the world, which folks from across the music industry, along with numerous celebrities across the whole entertainment industry.
Wolf’s mom and Eddie’s former wife, Valerie Bertinelli, responded to both of her son’s posts with a series of broken heart emojis.
Musicians send condolences to Wolf Van Halen
On Instagram, Sammy Hager, who was the lead singer of Van Halen from 1986 to 1996, messaged Wolf saying, “God bless you, my friend.”
Green Day founder, Billie Joe Armstrong wrote a simple: “I am so sorry.”
On Twitter, the messages of love for Wolf and Eddie kept flowing in. Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers wrote, “Love to you, I respected and loved your dad so much.”
Singer Shaun Cassidy echoed the sentiments of millions around the world when he wrote: “Loved your pop, Wolf. The whole world did. Thanks for sharing him with us.”
Condolences weren’t confined to the music industry as Insatiable actress Alyssa Milano wrote, “Oh. No. I’m so sorry for your loss.” Comedian and talk show host Andy Richter called him “one of a kind.”
Rest in peace, Eddie Van Halen.
It’s been a difficult year for the rock industry; back in March, the author of rock classic I Love Rock N Roll, Alan Merrill, passed away after developing complications following a COVID-19 diagnosis.