Eddie Van Halen Dead At 65

Legendary musician Eddie Van Halen died Tuesday at the age of 65 after undergoing treatment for cancer, according to a statement from his son.

“I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” Wolf Van Halen said.

“He was the best father I could ever ask for,” he continued. “Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.

“My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”

The guitar icon was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 alongside Van Halen bandmates Michael Anthony, his brother Alex Van Halen, and David Lee Roth.

He was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had a third of his tongue removed, disclosing in a 2015 interview with Billboard that the cancer had spread to his esophagus.

While he acknowledged a past history of “smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything,” he speculated his guitar picks were ultimately to blame.

“I used metal picks ― they’re brass and copper ― which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer,” he said.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.