Eddie Van Halen RIP

[Nitro Express]

He died from choosing a lifetime of chain smoking and drinking and drugs. He wouldn't have died from cancer otherwise.

I'm stunned by this, but don't make it sound like he was randomly struck down.

He killed himself slowly.

Ed’s father Jan died from the same thing at age 66. Ed died at age 65. Jan told both Ed and Al to stop the drinking and smoking so they wouldn’t suffer the fate of their father. Al to his credit quit drinking but kept smoking. Ed never did. I think the pressure of being Eddie Van Halen made it harder. Ed was more famous than his brother and wrote the music. Living up to your legend is not easy. Anyways not a wasted life. The man lived his dream. Most people don’t.

[Nickdfresh]

Ed’s father Jan died from the same thing at age 66. Ed died at age 65. Jan told both Ed and Al to stop the drinking and smoking so they wouldn’t suffer the fate of their father. Al to his credit quit drinking but kept smoking. Ed never did. I think the pressure of being Eddie Van Halen made it harder. Ed was more famous than his brother and wrote the music. Living up to your legend is not easy. Anyways not a wasted life. The man lived his dream. Most people don’t.

Dude do you enjoy being wrong, misspeaking, or just being an asshole? Ed also "quit drinking but kept smoking", he died of fucking throat cancer...

[FORD]

Not that it probably matters that much in the end, as the damage was likely done, but I believe Eddie technically "quit smoking". Switched to vaping, so still feeding the nicotine addiction ,but arguably with less carcinogens.

[Nitro Express]

He kept drinking when Al quit. He drank off and on. He smoked and drank himself to death just like his dad did. He battled throat and oral cancer and was being treated for lung cancer. The cancer spread to his whole body. Both years of smoking and drinking shortened his life. That’s the truth of it.

[Seshmeister]

The main risk from smoking decreases quite quickly 3 years plus for throat cancer, the booze damage takes longer.

All of this stuff is just a percentages game of course, I knew someone who died of the same cancer around the same age who never smoked in their life and hardly drank at all.

[Nitro Express]

Not that it probably matters that much in the end, as the damage was likely done, but I believe Eddie technically "quit smoking". Switched to vaping, so still feeding the nicotine addiction ,but arguably with less carcinogens.

Yeah he switched to the juice but He struggled with the bottle off and on. But quitting the last few years of your life isn’t enough. The damage is done over years of doing it. Oh well. Ed’s driving was as legendary as his guitar playing. He’s lucky he didn’t die in a car accident and take other people with him. I guess the guy could slam through traffic like no other.

[Nickdfresh]

He kept drinking when Al quit. He drank off and on. He smoked and drank himself to death just like his dad did. He battled throat and oral cancer and was being treated for lung cancer. The cancer spread to his whole body. Both years of smoking and drinking shortened his life. That’s the truth of it.

They shorten everyone's life to an extent, but throat cancer is not generally associated with alcohol abuse. Al quit early but probably out drank everyone in the band by a ratio of 5:1. In any case, the biggest risk factor was fucking everything in sight, and getting HPV. Tongue, then throat???? yeah, pussy...

[TJMKID]

Fucking cried like a baby when I heard the news today.

ALL of the great memories in the past 35 years that happened in my life were when VH music was playing in the background. Too many to list here but y'all have the same kinds of memories.

Eddie wasn't perfect as a human being but he was damn perfect as the BADDEST MOTHERFUCKER TO PLAY the SIX STRINGS. I will literally murder anyone who disagrees with that FACT. Hendrix and Page are a distant 2nd place to him.

And YES --- Eddie and Alex were immigrants who personified the American Dream, and that dream is NOT for tax-dodging, draft-dodging pedophile criminal pieces of shit like Fuck-Face Trump!

RIP, King Edward. I will forever be indebted to how much you and Lord Roth affected my life in all the right ways!

[TJMKID]

Also, I know this is not the right time to discuss this but --- does this mean we FINALLY get to see the enormous treasure trove of unreleased audio and film footage that's been stored at 5150 for over three decades and collecting dust ??

We all know EVH is the sole reason none of that stuff ever got released to the public, but now that he's gone I can't see Wolfie or Janie keeping it locked up forever. They will do the right thing and have it released, and most likely make a nice bit of coin from it, too.

I never bought into the bullshit stories about Noel Monk possessing all that film footage of the early concerts. We know Eddie had it all along. Let's hope Wolfie and Janie do the right thing.

[alexpgrimes]

His music meant so much to me. I am devastated.

[TJMKID]

I was kinda worried Dave was gonna be douchey and not say anything --- I was sobbing again when I saw this post on his IG page

Still blows my mind 40 years later that two dudes who grew up a couple miles apart in sleepy Pasadena would change the world in a big way and make it a happier place.

Few people possess that kind of influential power, but these two bad ass mofo's did.

Dave put this up on his FB just a few minutes ago and already a big response...



facebook make new album

[Seshmeister]

[FORD]

For anybody who might have missed this back in 2017... or wants to see it again.....

[TJMKID]

I'm glad Eddie actually through with this --- there were rumors he was going to back out of it.

At some point, every true musical icon has to ditch the humility and just bask in the glory and acknowledge his greatness and impact on the world --- this was EVH's time to pat himself on the back!

BTW, this was posted online in February 2015 so it was done before 2017.

For anybody who might have missed this back in 2017... or wants to see it again.....

[degüello]

This hit me really hard today, in a visceral way. Lots of tears and emotion. Such a huge part of my life from childhood to now, both as a listener and as a guitar player. Felt good to crank some VH, and it always will.