Person
Eddie Van Halen
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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…
IMDbKnown for
Popular titles
Photos
More stills of Eddie Van Halen
Biography
A closer look
Read full biography
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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2023
Thriller 40
Movie Self (archive footage)
- 2023
-
2022
Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon
Movie Self (voice)
-
2019
The Dirt
Movie Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
-
2014
Play It Loud: The Story of Marshall
Movie Self
-
2013
Van Halen: A Definitive Kind Of Tokyo
Movie Self
- 2012
-
2011
Van Halen - In Concert
Movie Himself - Lead Guitar, Vocals
- 2011
-
2009
Van Halen - Live From The Molson 1995
Movie Himself
-
2008
Van Halen – In Tokyo
Movie
-
2006
Sacred Sin
Movie Producer
-
2006
Van Halen - Live Rarities
Movie Himself
-
2003
Two and a Half Men
TV show Eddie Van Halen
-
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV show Self - Musical Guest
-
2003
Van Halen: The Van Halen Story
Movie Himself
More credits
-
1998
Van Halen : Live from Australia
Movie Self (Vocals / Guitar)
-
1996
Van Halen: Video Hits Vol. 1
Movie Lead Guitars, Vocals
-
1995
Van Halen: Live in Pensacola, Florida
Movie Lead Guitar, Vocals
-
1993
Cafe Americain
TV show Street Musician
-
1993
Frasier
TV show Hank (voice)
-
1993
Late Show with David Letterman
TV show Self - Musical Guest
-
1993
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now
Movie Lead Guitar, Vocals
- 1991
-
1990
Van Halen - The Early Days 1978-1980
Movie Guitar
-
1989
MTV Rockumentary
TV show
-
1989
Van Halen : Live In Japan Tokyo Dome 1989
Movie Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals)
-
1986
Van Halen - Live Without a Net
Movie Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals)
-
1986
Van Halen - Live 1986 New Haven
Movie Lead Guitar, Vocals
-
1984
The Wild Life
Movie Music
-
1984
MTV Video Music Awards
TV show Self
-
1984
The Seduction of Gina
Movie Music
-
1983
Van Halen Live at US Festival
Movie Himself
-
1982
Van Halen: Live in Largo Oct 12, 1982
Movie Self
-
1982
Van Halen: Largo Oct 11, 1982
Movie Self
-
1981
Van Halen: Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena 1981
Movie Self
-
1975
Saturday Night Live
TV show Self (uncredited)
- —
