Eddie Van Halen
Biography
Eddie Van Halen (26 January 1955 – 6 October 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. Moving with his family (headed by musician Jan Van Halen) to Pasadena, California as a boy, Eddie and brother Alex were both trained on classical piano. Eddie got a paper route to pay for a drum set, but Alex spent far more time playing it while Eddie was at work, so Eddie "stole" Alex's guitar to get back at him, and they continued to play those instruments for the rest of their careers. The Van Halen brothers started a band called Mammoth, eventually recruiting frontman David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony, and renamed the band Van Halen at Roth's insistence. Van Halen's debut album is one of the most influential and best-selling rock debut albums in history, and Eddie's innovative guitar playing had a massive influence on rock musicians worldwide, with Eddie being hailed as a guitar god and routinely being featured on and in guitar magazines. After a decade with Roth as frontman, he was fired and was successfully replaced by Sammy Hagar, bringing another decade of success for the band before Hagar's departure. A third lineup featuring Gary Cherone was not successful, and Van Halen reunited with both Hagar and Roth for brief periods, replacing Anthony with Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass. Eddie developed tongue cancer in the 2000s, had surgery and was in remission for a number of years, but it eventually returned, and he passed away in 2020, with an outpouring of support and appreciation from musicians the world over.
Known For
Late Show with David Letterman
1993
Saturday Night Live
1975
Two and a Half Men
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
Frasier
1993
MTV Video Music Awards
1984
Cafe Americain
1993
The Dirt
2019
MTV Rockumentary
1989
Thriller 40
2023
0Van Halen: Live in Pensacola, Florida
1995
Van Halen - In Concert
2011
Filmography
Late Show with David Letterman
as Self - Musical Guest · 1993
Saturday Night Live
as Self (uncredited) · 1975
Two and a Half Men
as Eddie Van Halen · 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - Musical Guest · 2003
Frasier
as Hank (voice) · 1993
MTV Video Music Awards
as Self · 1984
Cafe Americain
as Street Musician · 1993
The Dirt
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2019
MTV Rockumentary
· 1989
Thriller 40
as Self (archive footage) · 2023
Van Halen: Live in Pensacola, Florida
as Lead Guitar, Vocals · 1995
Van Halen - In Concert
as Himself - Lead Guitar, Vocals · 2011
Cry Baby: The Pedal that Rocks the World
· 2011
Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon
as Self (voice) · 2022
Van Halen: The Van Halen Story
as Himself · 2003
Play It Loud: The Story of Marshall
as Self · 2014
Van Halen - Live Without a Net
as Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals) · 1986
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now
as Lead Guitar, Vocals · 1993
Van Halen: Video Hits Vol. 1
as Lead Guitars, Vocals · 1996
Van Halen - Live Rarities
as Himself · 2006
Van Halen: A Definitive Kind Of Tokyo
as Self · 2013
Van Halen - Live 1986 New Haven
as Lead Guitar, Vocals · 1986
Van Halen – In Tokyo
· 2008
Van Halen Live at US Festival
as Himself · 1983
Van Halen The Downtown Sessions
· 2012
Van Halen: Live in Largo Oct 12, 1982
as Self · 1982
Van Halen: Dallas Free Show
· 1991
Van Halen : Live from Australia
as Self (Vocals / Guitar) · 1998
Van Halen - Live In Largo
Van Halen Live at Monsters of Rock, Donington Park 1984
as Self · 2023
Van Halen : Live In Japan Tokyo Dome 1989
as Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals) · 1989
Van Halen: Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena 1981
as Self · 1981
Van Halen - Live From The Molson 1995
as Himself · 2009
Van Halen: Largo Oct 11, 1982
as Self · 1982
Van Halen - The Early Days 1978-1980
as Guitar · 1990