I knew the man. 40+ years. The world has lost a game changer and someone I loved dearly.
Steve Lukather
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When we were opening up the Microsoft Theatre, Neil Young was playing one night. Larry Vallon and I were at Neil Young together and I mentioned that Van Halen was across the across the street playing at Staples Center. Larry and I went through the tunnel from the theatre to the arena and we popped out right next to the stage. We stood there a few minutes and the band went into a drum solo. Eddie walked off stage and down the stairs, put his guitar away and walked right over to Larry and shook his hand. Larry said, "Edward, how are you." Eddie smiled and turned around, picked up another guitar and went back on stage. What a memory. Two legends, Eddie and Larry.
Skip Paige
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As for true mind blowing Guitar innovation you can say Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen.
All the others including the greats we all know fall in behind these 3.
It's true Ed had an amazing left hand on the fretboard that brought the boys to the yard but it's his right hand that brought the girls. He was FUNKY and all the gals could dance to his riffs.
He was a kind sweet soul underneath it all and I shall miss him.
RIP EVH
Stevie Salas
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Eddie rarely played guitar on anybody's albums but his own.
He played Van Halen music.Many years ago I was rehearsing at SIR in Los Angeles and we stopped for a moment and I heard this powerful,fevered,operatic sound coming from the room next to us so I went over and knocked on the door and he said "Come on in Michael." I think we did a Humble pie song. ...I saw him play many times upfront & dazzled...
All those nine-year-olds you talk about,who are shredding on YouTube,were locked & loaded by the shimmering Eddie Van Halen. Notes tapped & cascading from another world entirely.There never will be anyone like him...
I too, am in Shock.
Michael Des Barres.
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Wow, I am hurting on this one and since I heard the horrible news today I have had so many flashbacks. The many concerts, the interviews I did with him and the band for their radio world premier broadcasts, the nights at Camp Leffler hearing the finished (and unfinished) albums before their release and so many more. A funny story with one of those radio shows I produced...it was for VH3, which debuted Gary Cherone. I had talked Ray Danniels and the WB team and pushed hard for it to happen live and I think everyone was a bit nervous. Well the decision was made to do it and it was at the Key Club/Billboard Live and that was originally Gazzarri's (you know the history). The band was doing a live set on the air, we were playing back the album and interview. Well we start, the band and I walk on stage and immediately Eddie has the crew take my chair and bring out a toilet with him making no bones about it...that was where I was going to do the interview from. We all laughed our asses off, settled in quite well and had a tremendous night and performance. Eddie loosened us all up and his sense of humor shined brightly.
One more, Eddie produced the band Private Life and asked me if I would record their EPK with the band and of course I said yes. Well during that time of their first track getting released to radio, WB Promo guru's Stu Cohen, Kenny Puvogel and I came up with idea of Eddie being at the Album Network office the Tuesday of release. Back then all of the PD's and MD's called their new adds and playlist's in. Well we let them know that Eddie was there if they added Private Life Eddie would do an interview with the station right then!!! Needless to say, that went over huge and coincidentally that day Elvis Costello also visited us and the two actually met and exchanged pleasantries.
So many more stories that I am sure many of your readers will share. RIP Eddie, and sincere condolences to Janie, Wolf and Alex. One of the best guitarists that ever lived!!!!
Sincerely,
Tommy Nast
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This is heartbreaking. As phenomenal as his talent was, it was his heart that I'll always remember. Whenever I saw him it was always a hug and a kiss and an "I love you, Steve." I first met Ed in 1980 when I was working for Carol Ross at The Press Office (my first job after college and first job in the music biz). We had been contacted by Noel Monk who asked us to come to Nassau Coliseum to see the show and meet the band to talk about PR representation. I met Ed and we had an immediate connection and became fast friends. The band signed on, I was assigned the account and I was off. It really was like running away to join the circus. My work for the band between 1980-1985 speaks for itself and it was something I took great pride in and they asked me back in 1993-1994. But I'm most proud of being one of the very few people to encourage Ed to pursue his keyboard explorations. He would play me the most amazing demos and he was so sad and frustrated that Roth and Templeman expressed little interest. I would constantly remind him that it was his name on the band and since he wrote the music, he should just do what he wants. In the years to come, he would always thank me for giving him the encouragement to stick to his guns.
It was really special to be able to listen to his playing night after night - it didn't matter if he was on stage, backstage, on the bus, in the hotel or in the studio - it was always mind blowing.
I will miss that big smile, the glorious brown sound of the Frankenstrat and the music that might have come. My deepest condolences go out to Janie, Al, Wolf , Valerie and everyone at 5150.
Steven Mandel
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It's late '94. I was standing in line about to board a flight from Amsterdam to London and as I'm standing there Van Halen joins the queue. We get on the plane and our bass player happens to be seated next to EVH. He graciously comes over to my seat and says, "there's no way I'm NOT gonna let you sit next to Eddie" and switches seats with me.
I'm a fairly reserved guy, but as soon as I put my seatbelt on, I was a 13 year old fan girl. We talked about Hendrix, Clapton, guitars of all kinds, amps, the never ending quest for tone and family.
Eddie was sober at the time so when I ordered a beer from the stewardess, he ordered a non alcoholic one. She brought the beers and after a couple sips, Eddie leans over and whispers "I ordered unleaded, but I'm pretty sure this is leaded. Don't tell Alex" who was sitting right behind us. The fact that he asked me to keep a secret from his brother made me feel like I got entrusted with nuclear codes.
They had just finished recording Balance and Eddie was really excited. He kept telling me that he'd gotten his tone back. Kept saying how he couldn't wait for the record to be released. I was excited too! My hero got his mojo back!! We landed, deplaned and said our goodbyes in London and I lost sight of him when he joined his band mates and crew in the customs line. As I'm standing there I catch Eddie out of the corner of my eye. I didn't want to say a second goodbye but he motioned for me to come over. When I got to him, he says to his tour manager "hey, look in your stuff and see if you have any copies of the new record I can give my buddy David". So, his guy digs around in the bag and gets me a CDR of the unreleased Van Halen record. Are you kidding me?! Eddie and I shook hands with a loud smack of our palms and I ran off to rejoin my group. I was like a kid. I couldn't wait to get to my hotel room so i could listen to the record.
In all honesty, I hated that record at the time, but I'm going to listen to it today with new ears. Don't get me wrong, my family is about to be sick of Atomic Punk, but I'm gonna toss Balance in the mix just because my buddy Eddie gave it to me. Thank you for your fearlessness EVH. You set so many ships to sea.
David Ryan Harris
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It's such a sad day and huge loss. Ed was an idol of mine growing up. To get to call him a client and friend over the past 6 years has been mind-blowing. I remember two distinct things that to me exemplified how Ed was much more than a guitar god, but also someone who was incredibly generous with his time and money. First was in business, and this one will hit home for you and Felice. He donated a 6 figure sync fee entirely to the Mr Holland's Opus Foundation. Not even a blink. He just said 'Rich, if they want that song they have to pay the fee to the charity.' The next was personal. My young son CJ was going to get to play goalie in a shoot out at MSG between periods of a Rangers game. He was of course excited and nervous. I told Ed about it and he said 'Let me talk to him.' He chatted on the phone with CJ for about 10 minutes and let him know that he too performed at MSG and it was gonna be a great experience that he'd never forget. That really gave CJ the confidence he needed to do an outstanding job that day. The world will miss Ed. I'm gutted for his family. I'm lucky to have had the chance to intersect with him for a few laps around the sun and call him a friend. Keep it loud up there Ed.
Richard Stumpf
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I interviewed Eddie several times over the years. Enough that I'd get appreciative backstage passes and opportunities to say hi after shows. One of those times - August 26, 1995, at the Meadows in Hartford, CT on the Balance tour - I brought my sister. I wasn't the editor of Metal Edge yet (I wouldn't even write my first Metal Edge article until 1996), but I'd already interviewed him a few times for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Night Sights & Sounds, the first being one of the biggest major dailies in the midwest, and the other the biggest free rock mag in Wisconsin.
My sister and I weren't what one would call "musically compatible," but she loved Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, so it was a rare opportunity where she would appreciate being my plus one. It was also right after her birthday, so it was an equally rare opportunity for me to be the "cool" big brother (as opposed to any number of adjectives she might otherwise employ to color my persona, haha). I was still new enough where nobody felt obligated to leave me passes, but I'd also been around long enough to know that even if they said they would, they might not be there. I didn't tell my sister we'd be doing anything beyond seeing the show - but sure enough, when we picked up our tickets at will call, there were two after show passes.
"Dreams" closed the main set, followed by the "Poundcake" and "Panama" encore. I love David Lee Roth far more than the next guy, I even penned the back cover of his autobiography - but Van Halen with Sammy took it to another level. They weren't as rock n roll, they weren't dirty, and they were far from dangerous. They were what happens when you fuel a machine with motor oil instead of Jack Daniels. Everything was smoother. You didn't need the kicks, because the transmission just hummed. My sister had never been backstage before, but I definitely didn't need to worry about walking her into Dave's den of debauchery.
We were escorted by the tour manager, who knocked on the door to Eddie's dressing room and told him, "Paul Gargano's here." What he didn't tell him, was that my sister was standing alongside me. "Bring him in," you heard Eddie say from inside. The tour manager opens the door and, because my parents raised me right, I let my sister walk in first. Eddie stands up from the couch and takes a step forward, not yet looking up. I'm not sure what surprised him more - that his robe wasn't closed, or that my sister was face to face with his Van Halen twins. He covered up quickly and we laughed. Talk about making an entrance!
My sister texted me moments after today's news broke: "I just read that Eddie Van Halen died." I asked her if she got a picture with him that day, and she said no, "but being in their dressing room will always be one my best memories." Eddie's magic was that whatever he did, he made look effortless. And when he smiled, he lit up a room like no other. Being in his presence was like standing on top of the world.
I wasn't the editor of Guitar World - hell, I don't even play guitar - but he talked to me anyway, an up-and-coming writer in the midwest. Again and again, he took the time. And he always did it with a smile on his face. It's hard to say what kind of impact a single interview can have on your career, but I can say with relative certainty that my Eddie Van Halen clips played a significant role when Metal Edge approached me to be their Managing Editor less than a year later.
But even more importantly than that, Eddie Van Halen made me look cool in front of my sister. I somehow think he might appreciate that more.
RIP, Eddie. Say hi to Dime - I'm looking forward to some thunder from above!
--Paul Gargano
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I was lucky enough to meet Eddie Van Halen May 22nd, 1998. I was working for Wind-up Records and our band Creed was opening for them that night at Madison Square Garden. I was talking with Creed's guitarist Mark Tremonti and some of Creed's road crew and he came up and introduced himself to Mark. He was psyched to chat with another fellow guitarist but he went out of his way to say hi and shake hands with all of us. Same thing again at the end of the night. Gracious, friendly and genuinely warm guy. I'll always remember that. Met some of my other musical heroes and they don't always live up to that standard. Sad that he's gone. My first true rock concert was VH in 1986 at the New Haven Colisuem. They filmed Live Without a Net over two nights in New Haven. I think I might have to watch that again tonight. RIP Eddie Van Halen.
Mike Mongillo
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Do you remember the engineer Chris who has filled in a couple times, well he and his wife rent the house that the Eddie and Alex Van Halen's grew up. Says flowers have been showing up on his porch today
Doug Boehm
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When I was performing Strip-A-Grams back in '81, I was sent to that sushi place that was on the corner of La Cienega & Santa Monica Blvd. to deliver a dancing birthday greeting to Eddie Van Halen. Valerie has arranged it. Eddie was the sweetest, humblest loveliest guy.
DLR. of course, tried to upstage me. It was over so soon he only only able to jump up once from the back of the group.
Valerie thanked me profusely and tipped me well.
Never a fan of the band, I did respect their talent, and was mesmerized by Eddie's solo on Beat It.
Felt like I'd just delivered
this birthday greeting dance to a living god.
Melissa Ward
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