# TMZ says Eddie VanHalen dead at 65 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [October 6, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361 "2020-10-06T19:39:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/1 "2020-10-06T19:39:19Z")
He’d been battling cancer off and on for years, so not a complete surprise, but jesus, so young. > **[Eddie Van Halen Dead at 65 from Cancer](https://www.tmz.com/2020/10/06/eddie-van-halen-dead-dies-cancer-65/)** > > Eddie Van Halen has died at age 65. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/2 "2020-10-06T19:43:07Z")
Literally, the only person in that band that can’t be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/3 "2020-10-06T19:46:57Z")
I don’t really follow the lives of the rich and famous closely. I did not know of his health problems. But I am sorry such a talent and touchstone has passed. Bless you, EVH. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/4 "2020-10-06T19:48:38Z")
I saw it on Wolfie’s (his son) Twitter feed. [Eddie Van Halen, rock guitar god, dead of throat cancer at 65](https://nypost.com/2020/10/06/eddie-van-halen-dead-at-65/) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/5 "2020-10-06T19:53:17Z")
Bah!! ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/6 "2020-10-06T19:54:22Z")
2020 has truly sucked! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/7 "2020-10-06T20:05:41Z")
Remarkably talented man. One of the greatest rock bands ever. He had been battling cancer for many years. Damn cigarettes! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/8 "2020-10-06T20:07:24Z")
I’ve always been surprised that he wasn’t a member of Club 27. RIP, Eddie. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/9 "2020-10-06T20:12:06Z")
Just got that alert on my phone. RIP. 2020 _really_ sucks! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/10 "2020-10-06T20:23:04Z")
Oh, hell no. The man could really shred, basically reviving the guitar solo and taking it to new heights. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/11 "2020-10-06T20:25:53Z")
Dammit. I loved that man’s skill and panache. As well as that attitude he always carried around. Fuck cancer and take 2020 with it. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/12 "2020-10-06T20:28:51Z")
Well, I guess I know what I’m listening to today. He hasn’t made anything new I liked in decades, but his 70’s and 80’s work stand out in the soundtrack of my life. I had no idea he was sick again. Let’s start posting some VH to remember him by. Ain’t Talkin’ 'Bout Love is possibly my favorite hard-rock tune of his (Dance the Night Away competes on the softer end), and possibly ever. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qtwBFz6lfrY/maxresdefault.jpg "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (2015 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtwBFz6lfrY) Everybody Wants Some is as much fun as sizzle, and who can forget the memorable animated scene in [Better Off Dead](https://youtu.be/kz6Kcz62onA?t=6)? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fAktV72_nnE/hqdefault.jpg "Van Halen - Women and Children First - Everybody Wants Some!!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAktV72_nnE) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/13 "2020-10-06T20:29:09Z")
One of the true pioneers. Music changed immediately when he hit the scene. The first Van Halen album came out in the middle of the mainstream Disco era. Hard to imagine that now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/14 "2020-10-06T20:46:52Z")
I remember reading a Rolling Stone interview of Eddie. At the time, he was having a studio built at his home, but it wasn’t ready, so he had to go into town for some recording. He asked the RS writer if he minded while he got some guitars. The writer said no, so Eddie led him up to the house, scooped up a few of his signature guitars in his arms, took them down to his van, and unceremoniously tossed them into the back. I never really go into (the great) Van Halen, but I’ve loved Eddie ever since reading that. RIP, Eddie. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/15 "2020-10-06T21:00:04Z")
Oh, I was so envious of Valerie. He was so gifted and I’m so glad he shared that with us all. RIP Eddie. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/16 "2020-10-06T21:07:21Z")
I wasn’t a big fan of his songs, but his guitar playing was mesmerizing. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/17 "2020-10-06T21:10:11Z")
Yes, agreed 100% on his playing. And I liked “Hot for Teacher” and plenty of others just fine. I just never really dove full-in on the band. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/18 "2020-10-06T21:13:08Z")
He made it look effortless, and he always looked like he was having the time of his life. Hi enthusiasm was infectious, no matter whether his music was your thing or not. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/19 "2020-10-06T21:55:27Z")
I never fully made up my mind which of Jeff Beck or EVH was the better guitarist. They played differently and although I prefer certain songs, I’m not sure I have the technical knowledge. I’ll bet the question has caused fights and changed friendships, though. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361/20 "2020-10-06T21:55:45Z")
RIP Eddie; you totally fucking rocked! As if 2020 hasn’t sucked enough, we have to lose Eddie too. He fell down stairs and he landed on his feet; it’s important to have something to shoot for\* 😉 and very impressive when you nail it over and over and over like he was able to do. Thanks for the great songs, the fantastic live performances and for living the rock and roll dream life! You done fucking awesome, Eddie! RIP! \*My goal as a guitarist has always been to sound as if I have Satan trapped under a lawnmower. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmz-says-eddie-vanhalen-dead-at-65/922361.md?page=2)