Guitarist Eddie Van Halen dies, aged 65

October 8, 2020 , lead of US  band, died Tuesday at age 65 following an extended battle with  cancer. His death was confirmed by his son,. Van Halen was a native of the Netherlands, eventually relocating to, California.

Numerous iconic rock musicians such as and  paid tribute to the guitarist following the announcement of his death.

Eddie Van Halen was known for his heavy use of and complex harmonics in his guitar playing, and has been widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists. The guitarist formed Van Halen with his brother in 1972. The band's 1978 self-titled debut peaked at #19 on the  and was certified  by the  (RIAA), having sold over 10 million copies. The band eventually rose to become one of the best-selling musical artists to date. In 2007 they were inducted into the.

The guitarist is perhaps best-known for his guitar solo , the second track on the group's debut album. of likened his first time hearing the solo to first hearing classical. In an interview with , McCready commented, "he gets sounds that aren't necessarily guitar sounds &mdash; a lot of harmonics, textures that happen just because of how he picks."

Van Halen had been previously diagnosed with as early as 2000. He was known for his reclusive personality.