Rock legend Eddie Van Halen passes away at age 65

The Rock Music world was stunned last week as the family of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen broke the news of his passing. The innovative musician is most well-known for his role as lead guitarist for the band that shares his name and legacy, Van Halen.

Forming in 1972, Van Halen would go onto be one of the biggest musical acts in musical history providing music that would go onto be rock radio staples and serve as an inspiration to millions of young musicians around the globe. Often seen with his signature guitar dubbed ‘Frankenstrat’, Eddie Van Halen showed off his flashy style and songwriting skills by writing hits for his band. He also contributed to the music of other popular artists – most notably the iconic guitar solo in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” from the album ‘Thriller’.

Van Halen played a concert at the Illinois State Armory on July 27th, during their ‘World Vacation Tour’ playing songs like ‘Ain’t Talkin’ bout Love’, ‘Runnin’ With The Devil’, and ‘You Really Got Me’ (a cover song originally recorded by The Kinks). The band would go onto sell over 56 Million records in the United States. After news of the musician’s death broke, sales of the band’s music have so far increased by 6,000%.

Tributes flooded the internet with news of his death as many shared messages of condolences, stories of concerts attended, and many simply saying “Thank You” for the songs and memories.