Eddie Van Halen, the legendary Dutch-American singer, songwriter, and musician of Van Halen fame, died on Tuesday after battling cancer, his son confirmed.
He was 65 years old.
The musician’s son, Wolfgang (Wolf) Van Halen, confirmed the news of his father’s passing in a tweet.
“I can’t believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Eddie Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” the 29-year-old wrote in a message alongside a black-and-white photo of his father. “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,” the message continued. “I love you so much, Pop.”
Eddie Van Halen, along with his brother and drummer Alex Van Halen, bassist Mark Stone, and singer David Lee Roth, created the rock group Van Halen, which quickly became one of the most popular bands during the ‘70s and ‘80s.
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.”
The band won the 1992 Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal for their album, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."
In 2007, Van Halen was inducted into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame, with Eddie receiving particular praise for his impressive guitar work. Rolling Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen at No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
Soon after news of Eddie’s death broke, stars from across the entertainment industry took to social media to express their sadness over the musician’s passing.
Late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel tweeted that, “Two of the best hours of my life were spent chatting with Eddie Van Halen,” remembering the musician as a “funny and lovely guy” who will be sorely missed.
Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx tweeted that he was “crushed” at the news, describing Van Halen as “the Mozart of rock guitar.”
Fellow musician Billy Idol similarly mourned his friend on Twitter, saying: “Rest in peace guitar legend Eddie Van Halen (...) We will miss you.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.