Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen (26 January 1955 – 6 October 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. Moving with his family (headed by musician Jan Van Halen) to Pasadena, California as a boy, Eddie and brother Alex were both trained on classical piano. Eddie got a paper route to pay for a drum set, but Alex spent far more time playing it while Eddie was at work, so Eddie "stole" Alex's guitar to get back at him, and they continued to play those instruments for the rest of their careers. The Van Halen brothers started a band called Mammoth, eventually recruiting frontman David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony, and renamed the band Van Halen at Roth's insistence. Van Halen's debut album is one of the most influential and best-selling rock debut albums in history, and Eddie's innovative guitar playing had a massive influence on rock musicians worldwide, with Eddie being hailed as a guitar god and routinely being featured on and in guitar magazines. After a decade with Roth as frontman, he was fired and was successfully replaced by Sammy Hagar, bringing another decade of success for the band before Hagar's departure. A third lineup featuring Gary Cherone was not successful, and Van Halen reunited with both Hagar and Roth for brief periods, replacing Anthony with Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass.
Eddie developed tongue cancer in the 2000s, had surgery and was in remission for a number of years, but it eventually returned, and he passed away in 2020, with an outpouring of support and appreciation from musicians the world over.
Acting
TV
Two and a Half Men
as Eddie Van Halen
2003
Movie
The Dirt
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2019
TV
Frasier
as Hank (voice)
1993
TV
Saturday Night Live
as Self (uncredited)
1975
TV
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - Musical Guest
2003
TV
Late Show with David Letterman
as Self - Musical Guest
1993
Movie
Thriller 40
as Self (archive footage)
2023
TV
MTV Video Music Awards
as Self
1984
Movie
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now
as Lead Guitar, Vocals
1993
Movie
Van Halen - Live Without a Net
as Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals)
1986
Movie
Van Halen: Video Hits Vol. 1
as Lead Guitars, Vocals
1996
Movie
Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon
as Self (voice)
2022
Movie
Van Halen: The Van Halen Story
as Himself
2003
Movie
Van Halen : Live from Australia
as Self (Vocals / Guitar)
1998
TV
Cafe Americain
as Street Musician
1993
Movie
Play It Loud: The Story of Marshall
as Self
2014
Movie
Van Halen : Live In Japan Tokyo Dome 1989
as Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals)
1989
Movie
Van Halen - Live From The Molson 1995
as Himself
2009
Movie
Cry Baby: The Pedal that Rocks the World
2011
Movie
Van Halen The Downtown Sessions
2012
Movie
Van Halen - In Concert
as Himself - Lead Guitar, Vocals
2011
Movie
Van Halen: Live in Largo Oct 12, 1982
as Self
1982
Movie
Van Halen: Largo Oct 11, 1982
as Self
1982
TV
MTV Rockumentary
1989
