Guitar God Eddie Van Halen Dead at 65 -- Cause of Death Revealed

By Alexandria Kim

Rock guitar god Eddie Van Halen had lost his battle against cancer, his son Wolfgang confirmed.

On Tuesday, Wolfgang shared the devastating news on Twitter, revealing that Van Halen passed away due to the throat cancer that he had been suffering from for decades.

"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift," he said in his heartfelt tribute. "My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss."

The 29-year-old bassist ended his post by sending his love to his late father.

pic.twitter.com/kQqDV7pulR — Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020

Meanwhile, TMZ reported that Van Halen lost his battle at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica in the U.S. The hospital doctors discovered that the throat cancer spread out to his brain and other organs.

Meanwhile, his wife, Jane, accompanied him while he battled the cancer that had affected his whole body.

In the past few years, Van Halen had been in and out of the hospital due to intestinal issues. He even underwent chemotherapy before his death.

Aside from those treatments, he also flew between the U.S. and Germany to receive his radiation treatment for five years.

Music Industry Mourns

Soon after the news broke out, many artists and stars delivered their messages for the late rock legend.

Ozzy Osbourne recalled the times he shared laughs with Eddie Van Halen and called him "one of the nicest guys."

"His influence on music and especially the guitar has been immeasurable. He was an absolute legend. Eddie, I'll see you on the other side, my friend. Love, Ozzy," he wrote on Twitter.

Warner Records said, "Today we mourn the passing of one of music's greatest icons, a man who changed the way the guitar was played. Rest in peace, Eddie Van Halen. Though you may be gone, your music will live on forever."

Van Halen's Journey To Rock World

The Netherland native decided to come to the U.S. in 1962. Ten years later, he and his brother finally formed the rock band which they named after their last name.

In 1972, they officially gave birth to Van Halen alongside its vocalist, David Lee Roth. Michael Anthony served as their bassist.

Throughout their five decades of being active, they successfully sold 80 million albums worldwide. Finally, the band scored a spot on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Meanwhile, although they have countless hit songs, their pieces -- including "Jump," "Hot for Teacher," and "Running with the Devil" -- brought multi-platinum success to the band.

Before reaching the peak of success, Van Halen confessed that he never truly learned how to read music despite coming from a family of musicians.

"I don't know s - - t about scales or music theory," he told Rolling Stone in an interview in 1980. "I don't want to be seen as the fastest guitar in town, ready and willing to gun down the competition."

That time, he only knew that rock and roll guitar -- specifically blues -- should be about speed, taste and melody.

Since then, he wanted everyone to feel every emotion whenever they hear him play.