Eddie Van Halen has passed at age 65. Due respect to a great rock guitarist and ’80s superstar. Condolences to friends, fans, family. Never saw the band live during the day. It is believed presumed that EVH’s decades-long embrace of the proverbial rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle had at least something to do with his relatively early departure.

What does Variety‘s Chris Willman have to say?

Rolling Stone‘s Andy Greene: “Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitar innovator and virtuoso who led Van Halen through five decades and three lead singers, establishing himself as on the all-time great players in rock history, died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. He was 65.”

Wiki: “Eddie was the main songwriter and founder — with brother and drummer Alex Van Halen, bassist Mark Stone, and singer David Lee Roth — of the American rock band Van Halen. In 2012, he was voted number one in a Guitar World magazine reader’s poll for “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

Wiki excerpts: “Valerie Bertinelli filed for divorce form EVH on 12.5.05 after four years of separation. The divorce was finalized in December 2007. Van Halen has struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse. He has stated that he began smoking and drinking at age 12, and that he eventually needed alcohol to function. Van Halen entered rehabilitation in 2007. In a 2015 interview, Van Halen stated that he had been sober since 2008. Van Halen married Janie Liszewski on 6.27.09. In August 2012, Van Halen underwent an emergency surgery for a severe bout of diverticulitis. It was revealed in 2019 that Eddie had been secretly battling throat cancer over the last five years.”