R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen

More shocking news…Eddie Van Halen has died, age 65.

Wow, what a year! Let’s face it whether you were a David Lee Roth guy or Sammy Hagar, the musical heart of Van Halen was Eddie’s guitar playing.

The band was formed in 1972 along with Eddie’s brother Alex on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and the irrepressible David Lee Roth on vocals.

The band took off from the very start when their debut album was released in 1978. Since then they when through countless personnel squabbles, bouts of alcoholism, and for Eddie, eventually throat cancer which finally claimed his life.

Despite all of the outside interference, Eddie’s guitar playing was always stellar, whether ripping The Kinks a new one with his version of You Really Got Me or giving Michael Jackson’s Beat It some much-needed bite.

Click here to read more about the life and death of Eddie Van Halen.