Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
R.I.P. Eddie VanHalen
- Thread starter two fingers
- Start date
Saw him first 1979, San Diego Sports Arena,only used part, no bad seat, unforgettable.Well damn.
I got to see him live several times. He was the man.
Eddie Van Halen Dead at 65 from Cancer
Thank you for soooooo much fun music....and for inspiring two or three generations of guitar players.
83 US festival was a dumpsterfire compared, a lot more alcohol. Roth.
Awww, this is a cool little story about EVH.
I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to express my utter sadness at hearing the news of passing. His experimentation with building his own guitars made me take my P bass apart and paint it several times. He was a innovator in many ways and will be sorely missed.
Eddie and the boys helped get me through puberty. He'll be missed. 
Condolences to his family, friends and fans.
P.S. F*ck cancer.
Condolences to his family, friends and fans.
P.S. F*ck cancer.
Last edited:
Not sure if this was posted - live footage from 1978, opening for Black Sabbath in Fresno, California:
Sound quality's not great but not bad for bootleg video - play this for anyone who says Michael Anthony isn't a great bassist - perfect, love the almost-bass-solo thing near the end - and Eddie is just inspired and inspiring. I never went all the way in to Van Halen but did play You Really Got Me in a band in high school and had a few albums - Diver Down, 5150, I think I bought 1984 soon after it came out.
Sound quality's not great but not bad for bootleg video - play this for anyone who says Michael Anthony isn't a great bassist - perfect, love the almost-bass-solo thing near the end - and Eddie is just inspired and inspiring. I never went all the way in to Van Halen but did play You Really Got Me in a band in high school and had a few albums - Diver Down, 5150, I think I bought 1984 soon after it came out.
RIP Ed. Thanks for the music!!
Here’s a rare pic of EVH playing bass!! Bonus points if you can ID what make of bass that is.
Here’s a rare pic of EVH playing bass!! Bonus points if you can ID what make of bass that is.
when i saw the quote from Tom Morello calling Eddie an "apex talent", that really gut-punched me.
definitely a once-in-a-generation musician.
to this day, i still use tapping harmonics to spell out chords (when tasteful, of course!). that's Eddie to me.
RIP Eddie. hope you, Jimi, Dime, and Stevie are trading fours at the Pearly Gates. now that's Heaven.
definitely a once-in-a-generation musician.
to this day, i still use tapping harmonics to spell out chords (when tasteful, of course!). that's Eddie to me.
RIP Eddie. hope you, Jimi, Dime, and Stevie are trading fours at the Pearly Gates. now that's Heaven.
I wasn’t a fan of him and didn’t listem to him but damn... I know his influence and his playing was brilliant. I didn’t listen to Eruption much but that tapping solo was incredible. RIP
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYuIJ7I-edHhQLotlnQY_XedKp5nOnYLh
Listening to Eddie’s tracks soloed is really fun. His rhythm work is so in the pocket. Cool song structures and ideas that were so inspired and played with such passion.
Thanks EVH for making my adolescence more bearable and inspiring me to become a musician. RIP
Listening to Eddie’s tracks soloed is really fun. His rhythm work is so in the pocket. Cool song structures and ideas that were so inspired and played with such passion.
Thanks EVH for making my adolescence more bearable and inspiring me to become a musician. RIP
Oh my, totally. He was famous for his soloing of course but he was a monster rhythm guitarist, which made his solos even better.
I was never a big fan of Van Halen (the band) but a massive admirer of Eddie (the man)'s phenomenal talent. He kept popping up on other things I was listening to, like the well-known Michael Jackson Beat It session, Thomas Dolby's Astronauts & Heretics and Brian May's Star Fleet Project.
Rest in peace, Eddie.
2020, eh? The year that keeps on giving taking.
Rest in peace, Eddie.
2020, eh? The year that keeps on
The band at the time was VH with Ed, Al, Mike and Dave. The original location was supposed to be closer to Wrightwood. We drove up the 15, to the 138 past Wrightwood, around to Devils Punchbowl, with several detours into the mountains along the way. Eventually came out near Lancaster, 14 to the 5 to the 210 and back to the San Gabriel Valley. We literally drove all the way around the entire mountain range looking for that gig.
I grew up in Temple City/Arcadia. Live in Azusa near the hills now.
How about this one. Van Halen’s very first use of pyrotechnics. International Casino (an old bowling alley) in Duarte. Van Halen had a couple guys, Jeff and Corey, helping out. Eddie see’s a can of black rifle powder sticking out of one of their bags. He asks what’s that for. They answer we do smoke bombs with that. Next thing you know at the beginning of VanHalen’s set, Jeff and Corey are on each side of the stage, arms outstretched holding matches over ash trays full of black rifle powder. Good times.
