Legendary Rocker Eddie Van Halen Dead at 65 After Battle with Throat Cancer

Guitar legend Eddie Van Halen died Tuesday at the age of 65-years-old following a lengthy battle with throat cancer.

“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,” Van Halen’s son, Wolf, wrote in a post shared to social media.

With his distinct solos, Eddie Van Halen fueled the ultimate California party band and helped knock disco off the charts starting in the late 1970s with his band’s self-titled debut album and then with the blockbuster record “1984,” which contains the classics “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher.”
Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time, and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Rolling Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen at No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.