Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen dies at 65

Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist for his eponymous band Van Halen, died Tuesday morning after a "long and arduous" battle with throat cancer, his son Wolfgang Van Halen announced on Twitter. He was 65.

The elder Van Halen was considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, The Washington Post notes, ranked up alongside other legendary figures like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. He was also known for his innovative methods, including popularizing a technique known as two-hand tapping, "in which he effectively added a sixth finger to his left hand," writes the Post. In 2019, Rolling Stone wrote that the technique "rearranged the DNA of rock guitar forever."

Behind the scenes, Van Halen's relationship with his bandmates wasn't always smooth, the Post reports, and he had numerous fallings out with members, (though not with his brother, drummer Alex Van Halen), while battling an alcohol addiction.

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Wolfgang Van Halen, who is currently the bassist for Van Halen, said his father was "the best ... I could ever ask for" and "every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift." Read more at The Washington Post. Tim O'Donnell