Five years. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since we lost Eddie Van Halen on October 6th, 2020. His passing left a hole in the heart of music that still hasn’t healed. There are guitarists, and then there are pioneers who completely redefine what the instrument can do. Eddie was one of the rare few who did both, with a smile, a swagger, and a sound that will echo forever.
Like so many of us, my world changed the first time I heard Van Halen I. I can still remember it vividly. Before I’d even really learned to play guitar, I was handed one by my dad, full of excitement and curiosity. I’d go to my friend’s house, Neil Lewis, the local great guitarist, and one day he put on Van Halen I. I didn’t know what I was hearing. It was alien. “Eruption” came blasting through those speakers and my jaw hit the floor. The riffs, the solos, the tone, it was all completely new. I didn’t have the words for it then, but what I was hearing was pure creative genius.
Eddie didn’t just play guitar, he reinvented it. He took elements of Allan Holdsworth, Brian May, Steve Hackett, and turned them inside out, forging something entirely his own. He made the impossible sound effortless and, in doing so, birthed a new era of guitar playing. He was shredding before we even had a word for it.
I remember being captivated by that first record and later, when I was around fifteen, really diving deep into guitar myself. By then, I was immersed in Hendrix, Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow, and all the greats, but there were two players I simply couldn’t get enough of, Brian May and Eddie Van Halen. Eddie, to me, was the perfect modern guitarist. He could play with the soul and grit of the blues, yet unleash a kind of energy and fire that felt revolutionary. His playing had personality, it grinned, it laughed, it punched the air.
Years later, I had the absolute privilege of seeing him perform live. My wife and I attended a production rehearsal at the Staples Center, and we went right to the front. Eddie launched into “Eruption” at twice the speed, with twice the fire. It was otherworldly. I looked over at my wife, tears streaming down my face, and said, “You’ll never see anything this amazing again.” And I meant it. That performance remains one of the greatest musical moments of my life.
Eddie’s generosity was as legendary as his playing. Some of you may have seen the photo I posted of a guitar he gave me, signed to my son. It said, “To Charlie, play it loud and make your dad crazy. Love, Eddie Van Halen.” I can’t describe the emotion of driving home with that guitar, bursting into tears knowing that Eddie, a hero of mine, had designed this instrument for his own son and gifted it to mine. That’s who he was.
For those of us who grew up in the Gen X era, Eddie was our guy. He was the guitar player of our generation, the one who made us pick up a guitar and dream. And even when you thought you’d figured him out, he’d surprise you again. I’ll never forget taking a call from him once when I was working with Marc Broussard. Eddie was curious about how I got certain tones and pedal combinations. When I told him I was using plug-ins, he laughed and said, “Ah, plug-ins! I don’t use Pro Tools, I use everything to tape.” That mix of curiosity, humility, and humour summed him up perfectly.
Five years later, I still find myself missing Eddie, not just the player, but the spirit he brought to music. His joy, his inventiveness, his willingness to explore and break rules. He was 65 when he left us, far too young, and yet he’d already changed the course of music history.
Every time I pick up a guitar, I feel his influence. Every time I hear “Eruption,” I remember that first jolt of wonder. Eddie Van Halen was more than a virtuoso, he was a reminder of what’s possible when passion meets imagination. We miss you, Eddie. Thank you for everything you gave us. Have a marvellous time shredding up there.
Produce Like A Pro
Remembering Eddie Van Halen: Five Years On
Five years. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since we lost Eddie Van Halen on October 6th, 2020. His passing left a hole in the heart of music that still hasn’t healed. There are guitarists, and then there are pioneers who completely redefine what the instrument can do. Eddie was one of the rare few who did both, with a smile, a swagger, and a sound that will echo forever.
Like so many of us, my world changed the first time I heard Van Halen I. I can still remember it vividly. Before I’d even really learned to play guitar, I was handed one by my dad, full of excitement and curiosity. I’d go to my friend’s house, Neil Lewis, the local great guitarist, and one day he put on Van Halen I. I didn’t know what I was hearing. It was alien. “Eruption” came blasting through those speakers and my jaw hit the floor. The riffs, the solos, the tone, it was all completely new. I didn’t have the words for it then, but what I was hearing was pure creative genius.
Eddie didn’t just play guitar, he reinvented it. He took elements of Allan Holdsworth, Brian May, Steve Hackett, and turned them inside out, forging something entirely his own. He made the impossible sound effortless and, in doing so, birthed a new era of guitar playing. He was shredding before we even had a word for it.
I remember being captivated by that first record and later, when I was around fifteen, really diving deep into guitar myself. By then, I was immersed in Hendrix, Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow, and all the greats, but there were two players I simply couldn’t get enough of, Brian May and Eddie Van Halen. Eddie, to me, was the perfect modern guitarist. He could play with the soul and grit of the blues, yet unleash a kind of energy and fire that felt revolutionary. His playing had personality, it grinned, it laughed, it punched the air.
Years later, I had the absolute privilege of seeing him perform live. My wife and I attended a production rehearsal at the Staples Center, and we went right to the front. Eddie launched into “Eruption” at twice the speed, with twice the fire. It was otherworldly. I looked over at my wife, tears streaming down my face, and said, “You’ll never see anything this amazing again.” And I meant it. That performance remains one of the greatest musical moments of my life.
Eddie’s generosity was as legendary as his playing. Some of you may have seen the photo I posted of a guitar he gave me, signed to my son. It said, “To Charlie, play it loud and make your dad crazy. Love, Eddie Van Halen.” I can’t describe the emotion of driving home with that guitar, bursting into tears knowing that Eddie, a hero of mine, had designed this instrument for his own son and gifted it to mine. That’s who he was.
For those of us who grew up in the Gen X era, Eddie was our guy. He was the guitar player of our generation, the one who made us pick up a guitar and dream. And even when you thought you’d figured him out, he’d surprise you again. I’ll never forget taking a call from him once when I was working with Marc Broussard. Eddie was curious about how I got certain tones and pedal combinations. When I told him I was using plug-ins, he laughed and said, “Ah, plug-ins! I don’t use Pro Tools, I use everything to tape.” That mix of curiosity, humility, and humour summed him up perfectly.
Five years later, I still find myself missing Eddie, not just the player, but the spirit he brought to music. His joy, his inventiveness, his willingness to explore and break rules. He was 65 when he left us, far too young, and yet he’d already changed the course of music history.
Every time I pick up a guitar, I feel his influence. Every time I hear “Eruption,” I remember that first jolt of wonder. Eddie Van Halen was more than a virtuoso, he was a reminder of what’s possible when passion meets imagination.
We miss you, Eddie. Thank you for everything you gave us.
Have a marvellous time shredding up there.
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