Wolfgang Van Halen Shares Heartbreaking Message On Late Dad's Birthday
When Eddie Van Halen, lead guitarist and songwriter for the popular rock band Van Halen, died in October 2020 from cancer, the music world was left heartbroken. Eddie had co-founded the band in 1972 with his brother Alex, before members Mark Stone and David Lee Roth eventually joined. Between winning Grammys, selling millions of albums worldwide, and entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, Van Halen had a tremendous legacy throughout the decades.
"[Eddie] had a massive impact on guitar playing, and I don't think there's anybody that's picked up the guitar since 1978 that hasn't been touched in some way by his influence," fellow musician Slash said during the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony honoring his friend a month after his death. "I'm gonna miss his playing and I'm gonna miss him as a friend."
However, most heartbroken was Eddie's immediate family. The musician left behind his wife, Janie Liszewski, and one son, Wolfgang, who he welcomed in 1991 during his previous marriage to Valerie Bertinelli. Now, almost two years after Eddie's death, Wolfgang recently honored his father's life on what would have been his 67th birthday in a message that left fans in tears.
Wolfgang Van Halen pays tribute to his father Eddie
On January 26, Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of the late legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, left a social media message to him on his birthday. Wolfgang posted a throwback photo of the two, which appears to be from September 1995, as the father and son are sitting together and smiling.
"Happy Birthday, Pop. I love and miss you more than you could ever know," Wolfgang captioned the post. While comments on the post were limited, those who could said what many fans were feeling. "I've been waiting for your post. Your father was the best. Happy Birthday Eddie!" one person replied.
At the time of Eddie's death, Wolfgang had found out at the hospital that the news was leaked to TMZ, so he scrambled to be the first to share it with fans. "I'm in the [hospital] room, and I'm literally sobbing, and I have to go through my phone to find a picture of him. I landed on my favorite picture of him where we were just sitting there, laughing. Hitting post [on Instagram] was one of the most painful things," Wolfgang told Spin in June 2021. "It made it real."