RIP Eddie Van Halen, Age 65

POSTED BY: JEWELSTAITEFAN
UPDATED: Monday, October 12, 2020 04:58
VIEWED: 1055
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JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, October 9, 2020 12:36 AM

I was not an early fan of his work, but I have come to enjoy a lot of his later work.

He had a long battle with cancer.

In this day and age, I would hope folks can recall that back when he was on top of the Rock Guitarist World, and didn't need much PR, he worked with another artist who was black, had not had a hit as a solo artist, and contributed a well recognized riff to the work. The song was Beat It with Michael Jackson, on his first hit album.

Other trivia. Alex Van Halen started the band, got a vocalist and another player. Alex let his kid brother Eddie hang out with the band and pay Drums. Alex had put together the band to help showcase his talents on the Guitar, his dream instrument. That all changed one day when Eddie picked up Alex's guitar and started playing around with it, with no training whatsoever. The band moved Alex over to Drums.

Back when KISS was the top Rock act, member Gene Simmons one time was able to wangle a Recording Contract with a new band, and he was thrilled that he had an iron-clad exclusive contract, he OWNED this band that he discovered, they couldn't do anything without him getting proceeds out of their performances. But the band had already made the rounds before, and all of the Industry Experts told him how horrible this wss, he needed to get himself out of this contract, or else it would drown him, cost him a fortune - why did he think everybody else in the Music Industry had passed on the band? So he went back t this band and explained that he had to cancel the contract, they were on their own again, without any help from him. That band that he released from his exclusive contract was Van Halen.