Eddie Van Halen - RIP

[Flash Harry]

It can't get any worse, I thought 2016 was bad but this must be nearing the end of times.

RIP Eddie, thanks for the riffs.

[Mike_S]

Very sad... a dreadful year gets even worse. What a contribution he made to music. Rest easy Eddie Van Halen.

Mike

[Farrell Jackson]

RIP Eddie. He was a true pioneer with his unique style of playing.

[cuthbert]

Very sad news. RIP, EVH.

[StephenM]

Seems to me that Eddie was a player that absolutely changed guitar playing...young and older players attempted to idolize him by learning that style....He was so electric and very involved in experimenting to get his signature sound.... I had the pleasure of being about 15 feet from him in 1979 as he tore the Lakeland Florida coliseum down.... I literally stood right in front of him on the floor level and watched him blast me into the stratosphere with his mates...I was happily deaf for 3 days.... I liked his keyboard work too... I would have loved to see a version of VH with Sammy and Dave....together...that would have been something...RIP sir..

[Frank53]

Huge loss of a legend. His innovative playing will be remembered in the same breath with the likes of Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry, and Jimi Hendrix. A true transcendent talent. RIP Eddie.

[Redler]

RIP EVH...

[chapperz66]

I am truly moved.  He was such a hero of mine. 

Somewhere I have a press review (local press that is) of the folk band I was playing in, where I was described as the Eddie Van Halen of the folk world.  I don't think folkies then had seen too many people tapping (badly) on a strat through a Marshall during jigs and reels.  Ludicrous of course. 

Eddie was the real thing.

[bruno]

Its hard to describe what listening to Van Halen 1 was like in 79. I was listening to sabbath, and purple. Hearing tapping and dive bombs and playing at speed, that was mind shattering - it was a step change in how the guitar was played. Now, well every man and his dog does it, so its less impressive - but at the time it was dumbfounding.

I liked Eddie's playing a lot, but never cared much for DLR - at fair warning I lost interest. However, I was a big Sammy fan and even got to see Ronnie Montrose at one point. When Van Hagar was formed - that was the shizzle for me. Its sad to see all the bickering and in-fighting that happened in the last 20 or so years with the Van Halen brothers, and what could have been. Eddie went off the rails somewhat, drugs and booze took their toll. Sammy and Mike A. go from strength to strength, so you can see what could have been, but alas no - and that makes me sad. RIP EVH

My favorite story about Eddie and his tone (with Nuno Bettencourt) - a lesson for us all


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm1E8ciUWzs

B

[thetworegs]

Listening him playing now "I'm the one " wow!!