Still trying to process~

the sad absence of Eddie~

guitar wizardry.

We lost Eddie Van Halen on October 6, 2020 and, truth be told, I am still processing his death. I have been a Van Halen fan since I was in the ninth grade. He was a guitar virtuoso and he literally changed the way rock guitar was played. And the sounds he could create with six electrified strings on the famous Frankenstrat he built from scratch were simply unworldly. In an interview many years ago, Eddie was asked how he felt about rock guitarists imitating his playing style and his reply was pure Eddie: “To me it’s like some dude stealing my car, driving around the block, and then pulling into my driveway and asking me, ‘What do you think of my new car’?” That’s all I can muster for now. Eddie, you are missed.

**Check out the new song and video recently released by Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son. It can also be found on YouTube. It is very touching and even brought tears to the face of this old rock roller.

Check out my Van Halen Top Ten at https://displacedkansan.com/2019/02/13/the-10-best-van-halen-songs/

© 2020 Gregory Vessar. All Rights Reserved.