Eddie Van Halen dies from throat cancer
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<p>Eddie Van Halen, legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen, has died at the age of 65 from throat cancer.</p>
<p>He lost his battle with the illness on Tuesday at St John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.</p>
<p>His wife of 11 years, Janie, was by his side as well as his brother and Van Halen drummer Alex and his son Wolfgang.</p>
<p>Doctors discovered that his throat cancer had moved to his brain and other organs in the last week.</p>
<p>Wolfgang, 29, shared a touching post and announced the news on social media of his father's passing.</p>
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<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
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<p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGA4YQmlmSr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.</a></p>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/wolfvanhalen/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Wolf Van Halen</a> (@wolfvanhalen) on Oct 6, 2020 at 12:26pm PDT</p>
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<p>"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift," Wolfgang wrote as he was the bassist for Van Halen.</p>
<p>"My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss.</p>
<p>"I love you so much, Pop," he wrote.</p>
<p>Eddie had been fighting throat cancer for more than a decade, after first confirming his initial diagnosis back in 2001.</p>
<p>In the last five years, he had been travelling between the US and Germany for radiation treatment.</p>
<p>Van Halen was formed by brothers Eddie and Alex in 1972 and quickly shot to fame by the early 1980s, with their album <em>1984</em> going five-times platinum.</p>
<p>Eddie also performed the legendary guitar solo in Michael Jackson's hit <em>Beat It</em>, though at the time did it uncredited and as a favour to producer Quincy Jones.</p>
<p>“I did it as a favour”, Eddie later admitted. “I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else.</p>
<p>“I was not used. I knew what I was doing – I don’t do something unless I want to do it.”</p>
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