I never really liked the style of music that he played. However, his guitar playing has always been very inspiring for me. Even still I always go back and listen to his music to learn new licks and tricks to add into my own guitar playing. He was seriously an amazing musician and in my opinion he is the best guitar player I ever heard.
When I first heard Eddie my life changed the way i thought of guitar , innovation , fashion, what music could be .& started my guitar journey with his work as a bench mark by which i judged my progression.
I loved his lead playing immensely but it was his rhythm playing that really left an impression with me. He was such a gifted musician and song writer. Very few will get to make such a difference in their field. It was a gift to music to have had him! RIP EVH!
Been thinking about what really made his lead playing exciting for me as a kid: it was the term bar dive he'd sometimes do *before* the virtuosity - if nuclear power stations made a noise when you hit the on switch....
Eddie Van Halen is THE reason I picked up the guitar. The first time I saw Van Halen live was in 1982. I was 14 and this was my first real concert. The stadium had "open seating" (standing) on the floor. Being only 14 and short, I was determined to make my way down to the front of the crowd so that I could see better. I could see a big open area of the floor right down front on the right hand side of the stage (Eddie's side), so I made my way over. I quickly realized the reason no one was standing here was that this was right in front of Eddie's wall of Marshall cabinets and the stage PA. To say it was insanely loud would be an understatement. As I'm standing there virtually alone going deaf, Eddie starts playing Eruption. I'm completely mesmerized by what I'm seeing and hearing, standing only about 15 feet away from Eddie. The sound is so loud that my entire body is being moved back and forth with each note. At one point Eddie stares right at me with that cool grin for what seemed like minutes as he blisters through Eruption. I'm sure he was looking at this kid, thinking I'm either deaf or crazy or both but for me it was almost a spiritual experience. I've been completely "ruined" ever since. I couldn't hear a thing for weeks, but it was worth it. When I heard he died, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I feel like I've lost a close friend that I've never met. Thanks for everything, Eddie. You are the King. You'll be sorely missed.
The dude was 23 when he recorded VH1. Let that sink in. No internet. No instructional DVD’s. No CD’s. Since his passing, I’ve had people say, “He was just a rock guitarist” No. He was THE rock guitarist.
No doubt! When people say uninformed (aka stupid) things about Eddie I really feel the need to correct them. Also Newsweek had some video story about him this morning with some absolutely lame, insipid, pathetic rock as background music--it totally pissed me off! So much so I wrote them and asked them why don't they use HIS OWN SONGS?! Also mentioned that it was highly disrespectful to not only him, his family and millions of us guitarists, it's because the MUSIC Matters! I don't think there would be any licensing issues...I can''t believe he's gone...
Don't sell him short for only breaking out at 23. After all, alot of great artists don't make their mark in the world until they're much older. Sometimes, it's the world that has to catch up to the artist.
Eddie and the 80s was just a perfect combination. Everyone is so self conscious now, and terrified of looking like they’re having fun. You could see he was just having the time of his life and exploring his art really without limits. One of the few icons.
Ngubu Scotchbonnet the pure joy, 100%, and he had amazing chops on the keys as well, which is amazing. The best guitarist I know won’t even lift an acoustic, just dedicates himself to playing electric guitar and swears blind that’s how you get good. Then Eddie rips out the keyboard solo on jump, talent to spare! the colour point, I can’t say I’m comfortable with, sorry. His mum was Indonesian (albeit you would probably never guess that) I think that it’s just a case that maybe his big era was seen by the media as, I don’t know, in some way frivolous and not so important? Either way the lack of coverage is a sin as you rightly point out.
@Ngubu Scotchbonnet Well... They did do a tribute to him on Radio 4's Today program which is a bit mind blowing. I mean that's the nation's leading news program, and I would have expected a mention anywhere else but there.
You didn’t know Eddie. Why do you think his wife divorced him? He was a miserably and hopelessly addicted drug addict and drunk that fried his brain and did a lot of bad shlt
@@richardmcarthur40 I still disagree you must not be familiar with new artists today. Things have never been more uninhibited and flamboyant and unlike the 80s it’s tasteful where Eddie would go on racist and homophobic rants on stage.
I watched the Guitarists Who Changed Music video the night before Ed passed. While watching, I was reminded of his recent health struggles. I spent a few moments praying for his recovery, hoping for his return to the stage and studio, and remembering how much he inspired me as a young boy in the 80s. He passed the next day. Strange coincidence. The video was a nice homage, and a nice reminder of the impact he had. Thanks for your insight, Mr. Huart.
I hear you Rudolf I hate that we have this pandemic, otherwise I think it would've been a great idea to have like 20 football stadiums (the Rose Bowl in Pasadena being one of them of course!) and pick a day where nothing but live Van Halen tunes would be played for packed crowds. From sunrise until well after midnight. Nothing but the best bands/musicians cranking it out loud and proud all across the country. It still wouldn't be enough of an homage but it'd be start to thank him for the love, joy, inspiration and kick ass rock n roll he gave us.
@@Marcus_C51 yes!!!!! 100% agreed with each word you wrote. Well, what about blasting Eruption on massive speakers at the "appreciation hour"? ;) Not the same but if police comes and you got neighbors complaining it's purpose it's done!!! Glad we agreed and share our thought about him
My first "encounter" with Eddie was watching Mtv back in 1984 the Jump video. I was just starting on my way of music discovery back when I was 12 and I didn't know a whole heck of a lot. Just thinking back Eddie didn't play blistering solos because he wanted to show off, all of the notes belonged there. The melodies within the solos fit every song he recorded. Such a huge loss for everyone. That infectious smile of his always made me smile. ***hugs to everyone***
Eddie was one of those players that even if you weren't a big fan of his band, you still recognized his impact on guitar playing and the innovation he brought to the instrument. He was otherworld. There was only one Einstein and there will only ever be one Eddie Van Halen.
@@Producelikeapro You've done a great job covering Eddie for us, much gratitude to you from us all. And sorry for you personal loss- Eddie was one of a kind and will be missed forever. :) cheers!
When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my dad used to play a cassette of Van Halen when he was working in the garage. I didn’t know what it was at the time, I just knew I wanted more of that sound. They told me it was rock and roll. I remember going to a wedding with my parents around the same time, and I was having a blast dancing up a storm, and apparently I went and asked the DJ if he had any “rock and roll” and in the back of my mind I had hopes that he would put on some Van Halen or something like that sound I came to love. He played some Elvis instead, and a 6 year old me stood in front of the DJ booth and booed at him. I remember thinking, where is the distorted guitar... where is the screeching lead sound and the heavy grooves? My mom had to come take me off the floor as I was very upset that the DJ didn’t understand. Thus begun my journey to heavy music. Thanks Eddie for teaching us how to rock.
My list of the three most important guitarists ever is simple. Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix and Edward Van Halen. I clearly remember that day in February 1978. My best friend and I picked the album up on release date and raced home to hear it. Blown away is such an understatement. It was crushingly heavy yet woven in a mixture of pure joy and hope. It was a happy album. Wasn't sad, moody or depressing. The fun and the love of what they were doing poured off the grooves and filled my parent's living room with a sound never before heard...or since. Jump ahead to March 23, 1979. Flipside records in Wheaton, Illinois. Grabbed Van Halen II and raced home again with my musician buddies. ( I am a drummer of now..48 years) On the turntable it went. After several songs..my mother (rip) came in and said..."Is that a new Van Halen album??" My Mom said that...and followed up with.."I think it sounds great, but I prefer their first album. Jamie's Cryin' is my favorite song.".. My friends are stunned. Coolest mom ever! Their sound was so unique and so instantly identifiable my mother knew exactly who they were from the first drop of the needle. THAT is powerful stuff. The sheer number of hours I have spent pouring over the first six Van Halen albums..(especially the first four) is unmeasurable. Eddie...could do everything. Sound - check...are you kidding??? Never before or after has anyone even remotely come close Feel - check A stunningly underrated rhythm player. His feel was spectacular and I think his rhythm playing is what I like the most about him. Solos - Check - Duh ...right??? Look - Come on...was anyone ever cooler?? Relentless pursuit of tone and innovation. Just like Brian May....he had to build what he wanted because no one else had it out there. I remember his first "Guitar Player" interview. I have never seen so many editorial comments and warnings as I did in that interview. Don't try that at home..that might blow your amp up..that can be very unsafe......that isn't normal..." That was the point....he didn't want to do things the way everyone else did...he heard something else and was driven...almost compelled to chase it. THAT is something very special indeed. So..RIP good sir and please..when you see my Mother.....tell her I love her..and please play the intro to Jamie's Cryin' for her.
In 1978, I was a 13 year-old. My older sister brought home the 45rpm vinyl of Running with the Devil, with Atomic Punk as the flip-side! ( I still have the 45). I was instantly blown away and within the year had myself a guitar amp and Smoke on the Water riff blaring out of my bedroom. A bit later, I took a cassette tape of VH's 'I'm the One' to my guitar teacher for him to transcribe to tab and to teach me how to play it. He listened, rolled his eyes and said, "Boy, you're ambitious". He did transcribe it, on the spot. I then spent many of years chipping away at learning most of VH 1. Every time a new Van Halen album came out it was like Christmas. I feel unbelievably fortunate to have grown up in the right time to be able appreciate Eddie Van Halen from the beginning if his career. Along with Eddie (RIP), I was also fortunate to have Ronnie Montrose (RIP), Michael Schenker and of course, Jimmy Page as my primary influences on guitar. Thank you Warren for all of your amazing production tips. I've been an independent audio engineer for over 25 years and never get tired of learning. You are a great teacher. Long live rock guitar 🎸 All the best, Stew
I couldn't play a guitar to save my life but i can still remember the excitement to buy the 1st VH album when i was 15. Have absolutely been a die hard fan from the beginning and cried like crazy when i heard the news. He was very impactful even to a serious non musician like me. R.I.P. EVH.
Warren, A flagrant opportunist you are not. You have always been one of the most respectful and classy blokes out there. Thank you for everything you've done, including these videos on EVH. You have (inadvertently) given us a place to be, at exactly the time when we needed it the most. First went the professor, and now the Maestro. 2020 has truly been a rough go. I hope somehow Neil P and EVH find each other.
Thanks so much for doing this video, Warren. There's no possible way to qualify or quantify EVH's impact on music. But like you said, he influenced us tremendously as musicians and guitar players. I'm twenty years younger than Eddie, so I didn't really become aware of his music until the mid-80's. When the single "Jump" went to number 1 from the 1984 album, I was nine years old. I think that was the first time I heard Van Halen, and I loved it! Three years later I started learning to play guitar and I bought a songbook of Van Halen 1984. I didn't ever really master Eddie's style, and before long, I would move on to learn other styles and learn to emulate other great players. But until now, I had forgotten what a huge impression EVH had made on me, and how he shaped my own ethos as a guitar player more than anything. People talk a lot about Eddie's incredible talent, his insane chops and brilliant innovations. But I think not enough people talk about his tremendous _work ethic!_ In my eyes, EVH was the last of the great musicians with the classical musician's work ethic. By the 90's, hard rock had been largely pushed aside by grunge, which ushered in a new style, and with it, a new work ethic. Perhaps not a "lesser" work ethic, but certainly one with very different priorities. Suddenly it seemed, the prevailing attitude was one of "style over skill", which is perhaps an oversimplification. But as a teenage musician, I often struggled in the early 90's to find kindred spirits who shared the strong work ethic that Eddie Van Halen had instilled in me. He made me want to work as hard as I could at learning guitar. By around 1992, I had gotten more into classic rock and blues and I wasn't listening to Van Halen anymore. But now that I've had time to reflect on EVH and his impact on my life, I can honestly say that he, more than anyone, shaped my work ethic as a musician. He made me want to practice for hours a day, and learn everything I could. He taught me to _never settle for ordinary playing!_, to focus on my weaknesses, to be willing to develop new skills despite the awkwardness and discomfort at the beginning. He inspired me to always try doing things differently. He made me want to be a _great_ guitarist, not just an okay guitarist, before I ever started emulating anyone else. Other guitarists, like Clapton, Page, Hendrix and Gilmore, to name a few, may have had a bigger impact on my style of playing. But nobody had a bigger impact than EVH on my approach to learning the guitar. So thank you, Eddie! I owe you more than I can measure. And thank you, Warren, for sharing your passion and your feelings with all of us.
Arguably the most influential guitarist of all time, not only did he take guitar playing to a whole new level but also the gear. Great song writer and - often overlooked - one of the best rhythm guitarists ever.
As incredible and innovative as his leads were, I was always SUPER inspired by that big shit-eating grin when he was "just" playing rhythm and locked in the groove with the band.
Thing about Edward, not only was he doing it better than everyone else, he also looked better than anyone else doing it. Just watch the videos of him in concert or the MTV videos.
Warren, I was 11 when VH1 came out, and been playing guitar for about 1 year at that point, my main influences were Jimmi Page and Hendrix until I heard Eddie playing on that record. We lived in apartments which everyone's back patio door face each other in a quart yard, there was an older kid that played guitar who just came back from visiting family in CA, somehow he got an early release of VH1, on a Saturday afternoon he opened up his patio door and cranked up his stereo and let Eruption rip, the sound of Eddie's guitar echoed off the brick buildings in quart yards and I rushed down to his house to find out what the hell I just heard coming out of his stereo, it was a rock guitar life-altering experience in which like many from our generation became instantly mesmerized by Eddie's playing and really the whole band sound and vibe. I've seen VH many times live over the years here in the Philly area and you're right out about how you described his playing style, I kind of think about it like taking a wet towel and just using every once of hand fealing to get all the water out, lol, just really cool licks, groove ideas, techniques, and use of equipment and effects! I still have my Krammer Focus guitar and used to play it through a JCM 800 50 watts and 4x12 1950 cab, also TS and original memory man. Tonight after work I just ripped out that old-style playing and had a few beers in memory of Eddie. I actually missed you Eddie Van Halen video so going to watch it next, you know I go back in forth on using a Plexi or JCM 800 plugin for obtaining the older tones! Ciao and my sincere condolences go out to Eddie's family and everyone that part of VH family! Godbless, Aldo
In the words of Indiana Jones - "It's not the years, it's the mileage". Eddie Van Halen packed an awful lot of miles into every minute, if I can achieve 10% of what he managed to before my time is over, I will die a happy man. I have very fond memories of bunking off school, sitting in my mates car with the windows down an Van Halen blasting out. Halcyon days scored by the perfect soundtrack.
Thank you for your honest video. This was probably already commented, but he gave his guitars and his son name from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which he loved dearly
I grew up learning on an acoustic. EVH is the reason I ever bought an electric guitar. He was a prodigy, an innovator, and a genius who took practice seriously which is why he was so great. You don't even have to like Rock to have been inspired by such an amazing player which shows his influence on the whole of popular music. I'm grateful for his influence which led me to electric guitar playing. Between Prince, EVH, Bowie, and Peart, this is has been a rough few years of incredible losses in the world of music.
I'm one of those Gen Xers you mentioned. Van Halen was the soundtrack to my childhood like countless others. I never had the chance to meet Eddie or see him play live but it still feels like losing someone you knew most of your life. Gone too soon like so many but he made an impact like so few ever do.
This video was very touching and inspired me to tell my own VH story. the story starts when I was just a wee 14 year old lad, I'm 18 now for context. So my dad is a hip hop producer, I grew up around black music only and never listened to rock. I heard of Hendrix and heard some ACDC but that was about it. One of my best friends was in a rock band. I remember one time in convo, making fun of the music he listened too cause we were 14 and thought we were intelligent lmao. He pulled out his phone and said ok, check this. He loaded up Van Halen I and instantly, my hairs stood on end. This was from a genre of music I used to make fun of. Eddies music to me was an eye opener. Fast forward to today, I play in a band playing classic heavy metal with aspirations on being a successful musician. Without Eddie Van Halen, I would be boring myself to death in law school right now. Thanks for everything Eddie, it pains me knowing I never got to see you live.
Warren, Thank you for telling us stories about your friendship with Eddie Van Halen. It must be so hard for you right now. We are with you all the way. Eddie was such a mindblowing guitar player!
Many thanks for this tribute! Here's my own little story; I'd like to share it with you because I'm also one of those to whom Eddie meant so much personally, even though I never met him in person. Even though I was a guitarist and massively into rock, the first thing I heard of Eddie was his guitar solo on Michael Jackson's Beat It. We played the song over and over again, just to be totally thrilled to the solo. As a short solo, in its combination of dynamism, expressiveness, variety, speed and technique, to me it remains unmatched. When I first heard it, I didn't know how it was done. It sounded miraculous, beyond the possibilities of the guitar. After Eddie, everyone started finger tapping. But no one ever quite sounded like him. There was a spontaneous inventiveness about his playing, an ease and variation that made others sound like pedestrian workmen. Even though he massively influenced the guitarists who came after him and hugely raised the level of guitar-playing, with hindsight it's clear that he was a one-off genius. Way back in 1984, we drove to a music shop in Munderkingen, in South West Germany. They had a guitar that Eddie had played. I'm not sure now about the make; it may have been a Kramer, or a Charvel. It was a white Super Strat (two humbuckers) with the then all-new tremolo (black). The guy in the shop handed it to me; I still remember the relatively high action and the unglazed ash neck and fretboard. It was a sunny day outside and I was twenty years old, with all of life ahead of me. When I remembered this episode the morning after he had died, I cried. He wasn't just another guitarist I listened to, he was a part of my youth and my life. RIP Eddie and ROCK ON!
When Neil Peart passed away back in January of this year, it broke my heart. I'd been a huge Rush fan all my life...and Peart was widely regarded as the world's greatest drummer. I recall saying to my wife at the time that Eddie's health had been declining and I feared he may be the next great loss. As cliche as it's become to say - Van Halen was also the soundtrack of my youth going back to '78 when I heard their first album at a friend's house party. While dealing with the sadness of losing Neil Peart, my thoughts were also on Eddie...praying I was wrong and he'd recover. But I'd heard several not-so-good stories floating around, some from insiders...and it didn't sound good. And now here we are...dealing with the grief of losing our beloved EVH. At 56 yrs old it feels like a reminder of mortality. The loss of another musical hero who's music was always in my world. I got to see VanHalen at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in '84 - and as you said the hair stood on end for the entire concert. I've been to hundreds of concerts over the years - and their's was the highlight of a lifetime by a long shot. Thanks for sharing your memories and stories - I'm glad your son has such an incredible guitar memento I'm sure he'll always treasure.
@@Producelikeapro a real rock start ! also thank you for sharing your stories with him . it was nice to listen to :) thank you for the great content you are putting out there for all of us :)
Thanks for sharing your story Warren. All I can say is, what a guitarist! "Above and beyond" doesn't even begin to describe his contribution to music with his amazing guitar techniques! Such a shame to lose him so soon.
Been on the verge of tears multiple times as well. He was my guitar God growing up. Originally played drums and VH blew me away then switched to guitar and the first song I wanted to learn was ain’t talking bout love. Spent countless hours learning it. And loved every minute of it. He was just the vibe of my youth. RIP EVH....
Since his passing I've been saying the same thing on other posts and you said it during your talk, we have been blessed... For me it was his smile/grin when he was playing that brought me happiness, joy and excitement.
Virtuoso, visionary, tinkerer, inventor, revolutionary, sonic assassin, showman, hit-maker, off-the-boat immigrant, the American Dream personified. He cast a shadow we'll all stand in for a very long time. Great video.
I remember hearing the first Van Halen album at our drummers house. We had a rock band, and drummer Gary pulled out this album (yep vinyl) and said " you guys have to hear this!". He put it on the turntable, and we were stunned. Myself, our lead guitarist Craig, and Gary were just blown away. Like being hit in the head with a hammer, our jaws dropped to the floor, bewilderment on our faces. It was like "what the hell is he doing? How is that possible?" We had never heard anything like it before. We just looked at each other with dazed N glazed awe! Revolutionary! Mind blowing! Awe struck! Damn! Who is this guy!!! Eddie Van Halen took the reigns of rock guitar and rode that beast like no other before. He will be missed. I think he so raised the bar that no one would touch him for years and years and years. Seeing Van Halen live was like seeing the magic right before your eyes, and still not believing what you just witnessed! Unbelievable... Thank you Eddie. God bless his family and all who loved him.
Like all guitar players I know, although this was 30 years ago for me, I can pinpoint exactly when I heard eruption for the first time. I still can visualize myself listening to it as a teenager.
Thanks for sharing those amazing stories! He was truly the Mozart of guitar. The world of music is definitely not the same without him. Van Halen (and that era of music) was popular when I was in high school. We all would study and look up to him as the ultimate guitarist. I still associate his music with youthful exuberance and the spirit of rock music.
Growing up in SoCal Eddie is our hometown hero. Hearing Van Halen at a very young age pushed me in the direction of music, and guitar. Thank you for all the videos, and sharing your stories Warren. Long live the King 🎼🎸🎹❤️
Thank you for the story ! I'm from Russia and it was you who inspired me to learn English ! We are colleagues and you have great content on the channel ! I think very soon I will be able to understand you without subtitles ! I wish you and your channel prosperity !
As I began to learn guitar, I started with simple chords into Beatles tunes. I progressed into blues and into soloing (trying to be like Hendrix and Jerry). Then as I progressed past "Layla" and attempting "Free Bird," I discovered the sheer impressive complexity and genius of EVH. I was so blown away that I didn't want to attempt to comp his style; just to love, adore, and appreciate it. I learned so much from him: technique, modality, song construction, et al. He is #1 in my book as a complete innovator. Funny story, a good friend/bandmate of mine is always trying to improve his soloing/song structure. I was the drummer in the band, and we were jamming one day. We decided to take a break and switch instruments, and I began playing "Panama". He began laughing with excitement as he never realized how intricate the song was. So he ran to grab my acoustic, and we jammed on that tune for over an hour. His tunnel vision towards perfection was dismantled by EVH's return of excitement into rock. The next week, my buddy had that (and a few more VH songs) down pat and his tunnel vision was gone. We both learned a lot from EVH, and this is a dagger to my musical heart. So cheers, mate. Thanks for all the great content, and know that you're helping all the other EVH's out there that haven't been discovered yet.
As a guitarist I have spent so much time this week trying to indicate to non-musicians, non-guitarists, what it was like to hear Van Halen for the first time in the late 70s or early 80s and it is so difficult to do because it was as though the radiation from the sound of his playing rearranged your cell structure to turn you into a guitarist. There is no other way to describe it, the joy of listening close, over and over, to the records trying to wrap your brain around what he was doing or the sound of his playing. Or looking at the photos of his guitar hoping to find the secret there only to realize it was just, as I heard Dave say years ago in an interview about Ed's guitar, "lint, spit and chicken wire." I don't know, it's taken 4/5ths of my life trying to deal with the music he put into my brain and now it will take the rest of my life to come to terms with the idea that he's gone. Thanks for the video Warren, excellent as always.
I can't help crying while watching this video... And I can't tell you how much I can relate with you Warren. I'm a huge fan of Brian May too, but Eddie... He was the only guitar player that made me feel the exact same feeling I have when I get on stage with my guitar... That thing I like to call "making love to the guitar"... Thanks for this video, it really got to my heart ... Big hug
I was 10 years old, already learned guitarplaying about a year, when my older sister came to me with a new record. It was 1978, and she said "hey, you're so crazy bout guitar playing, you should have a listen to this !" - It was Van Halen I , I remember I put it on the record player, turned up the volume and - boooom ! From this moment everything was different and my life was boosted into another direction :-) The reason why I play guitar until today, ...deeply grateful
Warren, thank you for making this video, it means a lot to us grieving Van Halen fans. EVH was an immensely talented musician. He was flawless and the greatest guitar player of all time IMO. I have been listening for him for 42 years and to this day I am still amazed! RIP King Edward
Loved the video you did. I watched it Monday night and it got me to thinking about how he was doing. My wife was there and we were talking about seeing them live and all that. The next day she was with our daughter after my daughter had her wisdom teeth pulled, she called and told me he had died. I was in shock. It was a bit late in the day, and my boss is my father in law.... just told him I was gonna go check on my daughter and was bummed out. It was no problem. It’s a day I’ll never forget. Much like all the times I remember of learning something Eddie did on guitar, that fed my obsession with learning something else he did. Which led to me learning all I could by him. I’m by no means great, but without him I wouldn’t be playing guitar much less be still playing or be a good at certain things. It was all because I wanted to learn Eddies stuff. It was all that mattered at times in my life. RIP EVH.
Thanks so very much for putting your thoughts out there. I was 16 when Van Halen came out with their debut album. I too was blown away listening to my friend's album he had just got and we were listening to Eruption. I was a trumpet player who had started out on the guitar as a younger child, yet I could tell right then and there that the guitar world, and even the music world was experiencing a "phase shift". There are certain times that cement themselves in your life memory and that was one of them. As great as so many of those other players you mention are/were, EVH was truly a Mozart of his era and we may not see another musician of his caliber in our lifetime, they are that rare. I'm glad too that you posted your EVH video the day before he passed, Rick Beato had a very good video he put out the same day and both of you showed just how much Eddie meant to you in subsequent videos. He was a gift to the world and I for one am thankful to have been alive when he was. And his boyish grin will forever live in my memory :-)
So much of his generosity of spirit and his effervescent nature came through his body and his guitar. Every move he made and his fingers on the neck of that guitar were hypnotic. You didn’t want to take your eyes off him. His face always seemed to be smiling. Just a warmth came from his stage presence. My guitar hero died. ❤️
I watched your video Monday night and woke up to the news of his passing Tuesday. I’ve been in a haze since. Even my gigs this week feel strange knowing that a part of my life history is gone. He’s one of the reasons I picked up guitar as a kid. He almost willed me to do it with the power, fun, and freedom in his playing. Thanks so much for putting that video out. Loved the story about Marc Broussard. We’re from about 10 miles from each other in Louisiana (in Dallas now). I appreciate what you do and the passion you have for creativity and sharing knowledge. I just discovered your channel during the Covid break and you now have a loyal consumer of everything you create. I hope to work with you one day. :) Blessings to you and your family.
For our generation, he was a truly inspiration. Despite that fact I'm a drummer, Eddie change the way I feel, perceive and listen to music. I still remember myself as a teenager, in my bedroom, putting the needle on side A of "Women and Children First", my first VH LP I ever bought. Music would never be the same, to me. Thanks Warren to share the experiences, great video.
I was so stunned when I got the news he passed away. The video you posted on Oct. 5th helped me put things in perspective so I could explain to others who never picked up a guitar, or really got into music, and why I feel so gutted about it. There isn't an amp, pedal, or guitar that hasn't had some level of influence from EVH. I've been learning a lot about production from your videos as I record at home and your channel is my go-to for a lot of recording tips and guidance (especially working with AD2!). So thank you for what you do, and thank you for illustrating Eddie's contributions in almost every facet.
I have a feeling Eddie is looking down at all these people making these videos and people listening to his tunes in remembrance and smiling. We all miss you Eddie. Thanks for all the gifts you left us with and the incredible memories for anyone that has been to a Van Halen concert, listened to a record/cd/tape/etc. So glad I was able to see him in concert in 2012. RIP wherever you are.
The first concert I took my kids to was Van Halen in 2015 in Toronto. Cost me over $1000 all said and done for the hotel, drive, food, tickets. Worth every single penny. Great memories. Edward..... Thank you.
I was about 16 when I first heard Van Halen. My listening moved away but then I bought the last album and rediscovered that raw enthusiasm. Those first albums are packed with passion, enthusiasm, skill and fun.
Thank you for sharing your story/history with EVH. I was immediately blown away hearing VH for the first time. I was pretty young, but convinced my mom to take me to get their autographs - they were at the record store when VHII was released. I got Eddie to sign mine, and I was so thrilled. For my first concert, I saw VH during the Fair Warning tour, and I was blown away again with how loud it was, how Eddie's guitar cut through, the spectacle and epicness of it. It's hard to imagine/comprehend that he was recording the VH 1 debut when he was 22 years old.
I balled my eyes out for hours on Tuesday night when I found out. Weeping uncontrollably at times. He meant that much to me, and obviously you as well. I know I'm not alone. YOU are not alone, Warren. RIP King Edward.
Warren, your playing shows so much of what you have learned through the years. Thank you for what you continue to ad to the music of our time. Love you Donnie
I grew up in the 70's , played guitar in a cover band 25 miles east of Los Angeles. A local band ,from Pasadena, with 2 brothers named Van Halen were playing in backyard "beer keg" parties close to my hometown. LOTS of people would show up at these parties just to hear this band play. The only thing I can say is that the minute you saw this guy " Eddie" start playing , you knew he was going to be famous. It was impossible to comprehend how someone could make a guitar sound like that. The guy changed everything.
Yes, I'm one of the people who'd watched your EVH video shortly after its upload, and it just felt so very weird and unbelievable to hear the news the next morning about poor Eddie's passing! Plus, I'd been watching lots of VH stuff recently, a lot of which were new uploads on the channels I'm subscribed to, like Rick Beato's. Nice that he'd gotten a lot of attention, leading up to his death. And thank you for this wonderful video and for sharing your own Eddie experiences with all of us, Warren!
True words and a wonderful tribute to Eddie Van Halen, nothing but respect for Eddie Van Halen and nothing but respect for this stunning tribute. Rest in peace Eddie Van Halen, you did it your way and you had such an impish smile as you played so beautifully, you will be so missed, gone to soon ...
Your very welcome and I am thrilled and amazed as I learn through people like yourself what a true genius sir Eddie Van Halen was, I only wish I would have known sooner about his abilities to create and play. I always loved Van Halen growing up but now with Eddie Van Halen's passing the world is learning that this amazing artist was given an unreal gift. I am sure he is playing his sweet guitar in Heaven and smiling down on us. May he rest in peace and he is free of pain and playing alongside the other great artists, who are also now, angels in Heaven XO
Since you asked for first contact stories: It's a story similar to everyone else. I was a 14 year old aspiring drummer bored to tears with classic rock, disco and the likes of The Eagles. I was dying for something new and different but couldn't articulate what that was since I had never heard it. I was listening to the radio when the DJ says, "Here's something brand new from Van Halen, you may want to hold on to something". Van who? Since the only other Van I knew of was Van Morrison I expected something soft and bluesy. The opening salvo of Unchained blows through the room and the whole world changed. This - this is exactly what I was dying for; to have my face ripped off, to have my internal organs rearranged, to have a soundtrack for my soul and to have a smile pasted across my mug. Every time I heard them that smile came back. No matter how shitty life was at the time or how bad I felt, his playing was and is like silvery drops of the most colorful, beautiful rain. Yes, Boomers had Jimi, we had Edward. He is ours and I feel so bad for the people who just don't get or will experience that feeling he gave us. Like the loss of Neil Peart, the loss of Edward Van Halen is so profound because we will never see the likes of that kind of greatness again.
I can pinpoint the exact moment I got serious about wanting to play guitar and be a musician. 1993 or 94, I had just started learning my D, G and A chords, but I wasn't all that into it. One day, my dad told me there would be a documentary about guitar on the TV that night. It was the "Guitar Heroes" episode of "The History Of Rock & Roll". About five minutes in, they show a clip of Eddie playing his guitar solo from the Right Here Right Now live video. My young mind is blown, and my life is changed forever. From that moment, he was always the greatest of all time to me. Thank you Eddie. Rest in peace ❤️
Your love for what you do always shines through! Whether it be production or playing or talking about the musicians you love, it's about exactly that: love. That for me is what I learned from Eddie as well. I was five when Women and Children First came out. I listened to it on a turn table at a K-Mart...and like many of us, the hairs on my skin jumped up and my heart & soul were struck by lightning! Thank you for sharing, Warren! That love can't be faked!
Well said mate... your words echoed ALL of our emotions. As I have said 100x over the last week. No Eddie = NO guitar for me. His contribution to music was and IS immeasurable...! RIP KING!!
Impossible to overstate his impact on rock guitar. Millions of imitators could at best only scratch the surface; undeniable talent and a true virtuoso.
I had THE classic Van Halen experience as a teenager. It was Easter 1985 and we were all off school. My brother had Van Halen 1 on cassette and left it in the stereo. I sat down bored in the chair nearby after lunch, put on the headphones and pressed play, and "Eruption" came on and I WAS TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER PLANET!!! In that moment...cells changed somehow...and the guitar was injected into my life and has never left me.
That's a lovely tribute. He's the most exciting, exhilarating guitar player that ever lived in my book. I've loved his music since 1980, when as a 14 year old I heard Women & Children First as my introduction via a slightly older and influential friend. The record had just come out. It was the *songs* that got me first, the whole thing. I loved the cockiness of Roth's voice, the pummeling drums & bass, and of course the dazzling guitar, but the strength of the tunes just blew me away. I wasn't long into rock music at that point, I liked Scorpions, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, UFO, Sabbath etc but this just *destroyed* them. I borrowed the previous two albums off the friend, put them on when I got home, and after I'd finished listening went downstairs and said to my mum "Can I have a guitar for my birthday?"... My music taste veered into other areas over the years, and I largely left that era of rock music behind but those first six VH albums have always stayed with me, they still sound as fresh as they ever did. They soundtracked my adolescence & I've never stopped loving them. As for Eddie himself, he had the incredible songwriting talent merging ferocious rock with a pop sensibility, the imaginative riffs, the vastly underappreciated rhythm playing, the inventiveness (the intro to Mean Street still bends my mind to this day), the charming stage presence, and of course the brilliant lead playing. The lot. No-one since has come close to that. I'll stop now before I bawl my eyes out again. RIP
I received my first guitar in 1986 when I turned 16. My influences before Eddie were Ace, Jimi, Jimmy and Eric. I had the same reaction when I heard the first album. I remember my first thought was, “wow I really like the Kinks’ version of You Really Got Me, but these guys are better!!” Not sure how many stops you had to have for this video, but I am in tears writing to a guy I have never met; about a guy I have never met. We have sure spent a stack of hours with his music though!! Thank you for this wonderful nod to our hero and true legend!!
Saw him in Vancouver in 91' BC place during the F.U.C.K. Tour, AIC opened the show. I went with my band, we were 4 small city boys from St.John's NFLD trying to "make it"! We were in town for a month then we saw the concert advertised. After Chains played that night, the lights came on for about 20 mins then went off again 10 min before VH. The first sound we heard was the Makita drill whirring. When Eddie jumped out we all started crying and we all didn't really realize until halfway through "Poundcake". It didn't matter we were overwhelmed and weren't afraid to show it. We all stayed 100% sober to enjoy every detail of the show while people around us were getting wasted. It will forever be one of the most important days of my life. Heard VH 1 the first time when I was 7 in 1980 it changed me from a listener to a music maker, and I still write, record my own stuff, play my own instruments and produce it all. Thank you Eddie I will love you deeply forever!!
Hi Warren. Thank you for this. I shared and posted your EVH video last Monday. When I got the news that he had passed a few hours later when I woke up, I thought I had missed something from the your video. I wondered whether you posted it to honor his passing. I watched it again just to be sure. It wasn't about his passing. It was the perfect tribute to a living legend, albeit for the last few hours of his life. Thank you for that video.
I only met him once. A brief conversation about music, but at the end, I did get to tell him how much he meant to me. Everytime someone says 'never meet your heroes'... I think of the time I met Ed and think 'You really needed to choose better heroes' In retrospect that was probably the most important conversation about music I ever had or ever will have.
Warren, the top of the industry can be easily seen as being full of fashionistas and uncaring, self important types. But you show a side of the industry rarely seen; Humanity. Eddie was a big old soul, he knew who he was and was never affraid to be himself - we could all learn from that! Thanks for sharing, its cathartic for all of us right now. I'm broken.
My father was an extremely gifted classical guitarist and only played on nylon-stringed guitars and was my teacher. When I discovered Van Halen in my life I started gravitating to the electric guitar because of Eddie. My father was so mad at me and would have to listen to me practice through thick walls not knowing exactly what I was trying to accomplish and for about a year had no interest. One day I came home and the old man had gone into my "studio" in the basement and played the record that was on the turntable which was Van Halen 1 of course. He had it extremely cranked with a big smile on his face and after "Atomic Punk" he turned the volume down and asked me if the guy was playing a guitar? I said yes and he instantly became one of the biggest Eddie fans and he said this kid is gonna change the world, the Mozart of our time. We went to every Van Halen concert together until the day he died
Eddie's sensibility for music, songwriting and impecable taste inspired me to go further and learn and be better. He will live forever in our brains, hearts and souls. Thank you. ❤️
Don't think about cashing in Warren. You are a genuine human being and it shows in this presentation and choice of your words. I can hear it all in your voice. You are an honorable man my friend. And through your voice and in your remembrance of Eddie Van Halen, you immortalize Eddie and his music. Thanks for this video.
Thank you for your story here. I am 52 and Eddie and Randy were THE 2 biggest guitarists of my generation, and my group of friends. When we were 13-14 and just starting out, it was funny back then, you were either team Eddie or team Randy lol. But of course secretly we loved them both. Eddie I think had a more profound impact because he was first and he was so new and so amazing. Randy gave it more refinement and of course the classical edging. aside from their playing it was so cool to think about both of them, literally living just miles apart and knowing each other, and each going to the others gigs. There is a picture of an old flyer of Quiet Riot and Van Halen playing a Community College together. To this day it blows my mind thinking you could have seen Eddie and Randy at a small gig like that. those were the days weren't they? I honestly don't think there was ever a time for guitar like the early 80's. While i like and admire the 70's guys and even earlier, for me, it was Eddie and Randy and that LA strip of that time. RIP Eddie, I hope your jammin with Randy and everyone else now. You were truly TRULY one of a kind
I first heard Eddie and his band play at a backyard house party in Pasadena somewhere around 1976 or 1977. This was before their first album came out. I was blown away!!! Who is that guitar player? How come he’s not famous? These were some of the questions I had then. I kept talking about him until their first album came out. The rest is history. Years later I also heard him play solo at the Roxy in Hollywood, out of this little amp. He opened up and introduced Alan Holdsworth. He said “this is who I listen to”. Then they jammed together. His solo playing was unbelievable! What an amazing musician and human. What a loss for the world! Rest In Peace Eddie Van Halen! You’ll be sorely missed by millions!
I remember listening to VH1 with headphones in 8th grade falling asleep almost every night to it. I remember focusing almost entirely on the guitar, the sound, the tone, the feeling he put in it. It felt like it was speaking to me in a language I’d never heard from another word, that I almost somehow understood in an abstract way. I have been searching for that tone for my guitar ever since. Not to mention he kept evolving his sound and tone his whole career, and they were all warm, clear, articulating every note with perfect attack. Inspiring is an understatement. Not to mention his song writing. Countless great songs and timeless riffs
So sad to hear about Eddie Van Halen’s passing. I remember first hearing about Van Halen in my early days playing guitar when my dad was watching a documentary on them. My dad and mom grew up loving them and I became intrigued. Not long after, my parents had purchased me a Van Halen Greatest Hits CD when we were visiting Vertigo Records in Chicago with my aunt. I remember putting the CD in and being blown away when the song “Eruption” came on. I had never heard anything like it. It was the craziest guitar playing I had heard at the time. I thought “dang, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do that. That’s insane!” Little did I know, I was to prove my early guitarist self WRONG. After I had been playing for a few years in 7th grade, I became re-obsessed with the song Eruption and did everything I could to figure out what Eddie was doing. I remember seeing a guy at Guitar Center playing it and I approached him and asked him how the heck he was able to play it. He showed me that he used a tapping technique with his picking hand along with hammer ons and pull offs to play all those fast moving notes. Around the same time, RUclips was starting to become a big thing. I found this 10 minute video of Eddie Van Halen doing a guitar solo along with the same tapping technique the guy at Guitar Center showed me. Of course he ends the solo with the tapping part of Eruption. I became obsessed with learning how to tap on the guitar and spent hours everyday trying to master it. After much hard work, I was able to get a handle on Eruption and posted a video of my own version of Eruption up on RUclips with the help of my friend "Will Thoms". I remember that video getting over 1,000 views at one point. I then went to perform it for my middle school talent show with my peers struck in awe. It was a great moment and I felt so accomplished. A year after in Eighth grade, I went to see Van Halen live with my friend and bandmate Casey Bloom along with our dads. We were blown away by the show and of course Eddie went up and played an amazing solo followed by an encore of “Jump" to end the show. As a freshman in High School, I sought to further perfect "Eruption" by learning how it exactly was on the original recording I had heard. I ended up finding a guy on RUclips who teaches you how to play Eruption note for note. Although I had gotten that down within a month or two, I don’t think I ended up posting a video of it until a couple years ago when I was in Boston. Recently I have been teaching a student how to play the tapping part in Eruption and he comes to me each week getting better and better at it. It feels great to be influenced by such an amazing talent and to be able to pass that talent to others as well. I love many of Van Halen’s songs but “Eruption" is the one that has had the most influence on me. It completely changed the way I played guitar and was a vital stepping stone to where I am today as a player. Eddie, you have had a profound influence on my playing and you will be greatly missed. I’ll never be able to play “Eruption” the way you did, but thank you for showing me that I can find my own way of playing music. Your legacy lives on for eternity. Peace and love to your soul and blessings to the whole Van Halen family.
There are a gazillion stories like this but each one of us tells it differently. I was a kid and someone loaned me a cassette of Van Halen because for whatever reason his tastes were turning to traditional blues. It was so bizarre now I think about it - I guess he was just not in that space and that's ok. Now, the tape was not rewound to side 1, so I ended up hearing the songs out of sequence. And then I heard Eruption and you know exactly what happened. My frickin' brain melted. I could not believe what I was hearing. How was he doing that? How can a human play so fast?! It was not just that it was fast - it was so utterly beautiful. I'd barely heard much guitar music before - I kinda wasn't into music much, so I went from zero to Eddie in the space of 10 minutes. I listened to that tape over and over, maybe thirty times, and Eruption maybe a hundred... and the next day I went to the guitar shop without knowing anything about the guitar, looked at a few and they were all out of my price range. When I walked out of the shop I saw the most beautiful guitar in the window with a £ 299 price tag on it, with a Floyd. The dude in the shop checked the ticket and said it had been erroneously priced, but we chatted and my passion was overflowing and I told him about Eddie and he sold me this £ 700 guitar and here I am almost 40 years later still in awe and crying my eyes out at the genius that we have been so privileged to enjoy. His note choices still are incredible. His ability to meld sounds into music in real time at hyperspeed with the genius of improvisation was endlessly amazing. This is what separated him from the rest - his ability to play it differently every time... but each time to be demigod level. The swing, the groove, the growl, the thump... all of this and brilliant, amazing melodies in the riffs and the solos. Hardly any overdubs - just all out music music music. I love every single album of Van Halen's - we have so many riches to revel in. I am glad that his suffering is over and my heart goes out to Wolfie, Janie and Alex. Yesterday someone asked me "Well what happens now? Who is the future of music?" I answered "Let me tell you one thing: Eddie Van Halen is the future of music."
It really hurts to watch this, because I can see that you are in pain as you grieve one of the greatest guitarists of all time. I bet it was exhausting to film this, but thank you for sharing this with us, Warren. ❤️
When I heard of his passing I was truly heartbroken his music got me through the worst and best parts of my life! I actually feel like I knew him personally. What a tremendous loss we have suffered. But his music will always be here.
Thanks for this video and sharing your love for Ed. A lot of us can relate. He was an amazing inspiration to us all. HE will be greatly missed. Truly one of a kind and the reason my world revolves around music and specifically rock.
How did Eddie Van Halen inspire you?
I never really liked the style of music that he played. However, his guitar playing has always been very inspiring for me. Even still I always go back and listen to his music to learn new licks and tricks to add into my own guitar playing. He was seriously an amazing musician and in my opinion he is the best guitar player I ever heard.
@@Emergentministry thanks ever so much for sharing!!
When I first heard Eddie my life changed the way i thought of guitar , innovation , fashion, what music could be .& started my guitar journey with his work as a bench mark by which i judged my progression.
I loved his lead playing immensely but it was his rhythm playing that really left an impression with me. He was such a gifted musician and song writer. Very few will get to make such a difference in their field. It was a gift to music to have had him! RIP EVH!
Been thinking about what really made his lead playing exciting for me as a kid: it was the term bar dive he'd sometimes do *before* the virtuosity - if nuclear power stations made a noise when you hit the on switch....
Eddie Van Halen is THE reason I picked up the guitar. The first time I saw Van Halen live was in 1982. I was 14 and this was my first real concert. The stadium had "open seating" (standing) on the floor. Being only 14 and short, I was determined to make my way down to the front of the crowd so that I could see better. I could see a big open area of the floor right down front on the right hand side of the stage (Eddie's side), so I made my way over. I quickly realized the reason no one was standing here was that this was right in front of Eddie's wall of Marshall cabinets and the stage PA. To say it was insanely loud would be an understatement. As I'm standing there virtually alone going deaf, Eddie starts playing Eruption. I'm completely mesmerized by what I'm seeing and hearing, standing only about 15 feet away from Eddie. The sound is so loud that my entire body is being moved back and forth with each note. At one point Eddie stares right at me with that cool grin for what seemed like minutes as he blisters through Eruption. I'm sure he was looking at this kid, thinking I'm either deaf or crazy or both but for me it was almost a spiritual experience. I've been completely "ruined" ever since. I couldn't hear a thing for weeks, but it was worth it. When I heard he died, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I feel like I've lost a close friend that I've never met. Thanks for everything, Eddie. You are the King. You'll be sorely missed.
The dude was 23 when he recorded VH1. Let that sink in. No internet. No instructional DVD’s. No CD’s.
Since his passing, I’ve had people say, “He was just a rock guitarist”
No. He was THE rock guitarist.
Yes, agreed Anthony, he was The Rock guitarist of our generation!!
No doubt! When people say uninformed (aka stupid) things about Eddie I really feel the need to correct them. Also Newsweek had some video story about him this morning with some absolutely lame, insipid, pathetic rock as background music--it totally pissed me off! So much so I wrote them and asked them why don't they use HIS OWN SONGS?! Also mentioned that it was highly disrespectful to not only him, his family and millions of us guitarists, it's because the MUSIC Matters! I don't think there would be any licensing issues...I can''t believe he's gone...
Not worth having the conversation with those people.
@@Marcus_C51 c.ei.p.o
Don't sell him short for only breaking out at 23. After all, alot of great artists don't make their mark in the world until they're much older. Sometimes, it's the world that has to catch up to the artist.
Eddie and the 80s was just a perfect combination. Everyone is so self conscious now, and terrified of looking like they’re having fun. You could see he was just having the time of his life and exploring his art really without limits. One of the few icons.
Ngubu Scotchbonnet the pure joy, 100%, and he had amazing chops on the keys as well, which is amazing. The best guitarist I know won’t even lift an acoustic, just dedicates himself to playing electric guitar and swears blind that’s how you get good. Then Eddie rips out the keyboard solo on jump, talent to spare! the colour point, I can’t say I’m comfortable with, sorry. His mum was Indonesian (albeit you would probably never guess that) I think that it’s just a case that maybe his big era was seen by the media as, I don’t know, in some way frivolous and not so important? Either way the lack of coverage is a sin as you rightly point out.
@Ngubu Scotchbonnet Well... They did do a tribute to him on Radio 4's Today program which is a bit mind blowing. I mean that's the nation's leading news program, and I would have expected a mention anywhere else but there.
You didn’t know Eddie. Why do you think his wife divorced him? He was a miserably and hopelessly addicted drug addict and drunk that fried his brain and did a lot of bad shlt
@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369 was more his playing than his personal life I was referring to mate. Was saying that it fit the era perfectly.
@@richardmcarthur40 I still disagree you must not be familiar with new artists today. Things have never been more uninhibited and flamboyant and unlike the 80s it’s tasteful where Eddie would go on racist and homophobic rants on stage.
I watched the Guitarists Who Changed Music video the night before Ed passed. While watching, I was reminded of his recent health struggles. I spent a few moments praying for his recovery, hoping for his return to the stage and studio, and remembering how much he inspired me as a young boy in the 80s. He passed the next day. Strange coincidence. The video was a nice homage, and a nice reminder of the impact he had. Thanks for your insight, Mr. Huart.
There is not enough homage in the world for his talent.
Agreed 100% Rudolf!!
Can’t say it any more poetic and TRUE than that, bravo 👏
@@TylrVncnt thank you. Glad we think alike about him. All the best......
I hear you Rudolf I hate that we have this pandemic, otherwise I think it would've been a great idea to have like 20 football stadiums (the Rose Bowl in Pasadena being one of them of course!) and pick a day where nothing but live Van Halen tunes would be played for packed crowds. From sunrise until well after midnight. Nothing but the best bands/musicians cranking it out loud and proud all across the country. It still wouldn't be enough of an homage but it'd be start to thank him for the love, joy, inspiration and kick ass rock n roll he gave us.
@@Marcus_C51 yes!!!!! 100% agreed with each word you wrote. Well, what about blasting Eruption on massive speakers at the "appreciation hour"? ;) Not the same but if police comes and you got neighbors complaining it's purpose it's done!!! Glad we agreed and share our thought about him
Great emotional obituary.
I shed a tear watching this.
He was such a humble guy gone far to soon
Thanks ever so much!!
My first "encounter" with Eddie was watching Mtv back in 1984 the Jump video. I was just starting on my way of music discovery back when I was 12 and I didn't know a whole heck of a lot. Just thinking back Eddie didn't play blistering solos because he wanted to show off, all of the notes belonged there. The melodies within the solos fit every song he recorded. Such a huge loss for everyone. That infectious smile of his always made me smile. ***hugs to everyone***
His solos always sounded like improvised jamming, but live he would play them nearly note for note.
I agree that Eddie was a game changer, but what the brothers did to Mark was pretty shitty......
Eddie was one of those players that even if you weren't a big fan of his band, you still recognized his impact on guitar playing and the innovation he brought to the instrument. He was otherworld. There was only one Einstein and there will only ever be one Eddie Van Halen.
What a sincere, beautiful tribute my friend. Eddie is my favorite musician of all time so I totally get it.
Thank you! 😁🎸
Don't worry about anyone thinking you are an ambulance chaser, it worked great as a tribute, as it did a eulogy.
Thanks ever so much Lasse!!
@@Producelikeapro You've done a great job covering Eddie for us, much gratitude to you from us all. And sorry for you personal loss- Eddie was one of a kind and will be missed forever.
:) cheers!
@@JoeGator23 thanks ever so much!
thank you for sharing, it's crazy to think of how many people he has inspired, influenced, and enlightened.
Absolutely agreed 100%!
He was a great song writer, melody writer, often overlooked because of his guitar playing
When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my dad used to play a cassette of Van Halen when he was working in the garage. I didn’t know what it was at the time, I just knew I wanted more of that sound. They told me it was rock and roll. I remember going to a wedding with my parents around the same time, and I was having a blast dancing up a storm, and apparently I went and asked the DJ if he had any “rock and roll” and in the back of my mind I had hopes that he would put on some Van Halen or something like that sound I came to love. He played some Elvis instead, and a 6 year old me stood in front of the DJ booth and booed at him. I remember thinking, where is the distorted guitar... where is the screeching lead sound and the heavy grooves? My mom had to come take me off the floor as I was very upset that the DJ didn’t understand. Thus begun my journey to heavy music. Thanks Eddie for teaching us how to rock.
Great story! 😂
Embarrasing story ..parents shoulda smacked the sh!t outta you
My list of the three most important guitarists ever is simple.
Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix and Edward Van Halen.
I clearly remember that day in February 1978. My best friend and I picked the album up on release date and raced home to hear it. Blown away is such an understatement. It was crushingly heavy yet woven in a mixture of pure joy and hope. It was a happy album. Wasn't sad, moody or depressing. The fun and the love of what they were doing poured off the grooves and filled my parent's living room with a sound never before heard...or since.
Jump ahead to March 23, 1979. Flipside records in Wheaton, Illinois. Grabbed Van Halen II and raced home again with my musician buddies. ( I am a drummer of now..48 years) On the turntable it went. After several songs..my mother (rip) came in and said..."Is that a new Van Halen album??" My Mom said that...and followed up with.."I think it sounds great, but I prefer their first album. Jamie's Cryin' is my favorite song.".. My friends are stunned. Coolest mom ever!
Their sound was so unique and so instantly identifiable my mother knew exactly who they were from the first drop of the needle. THAT is powerful stuff.
The sheer number of hours I have spent pouring over the first six Van Halen albums..(especially the first four) is unmeasurable.
Eddie...could do everything.
Sound - check...are you kidding??? Never before or after has anyone even remotely come close
Feel - check A stunningly underrated rhythm player. His feel was spectacular and I think his rhythm playing is what I like the most about him.
Solos - Check - Duh ...right???
Look - Come on...was anyone ever cooler??
Relentless pursuit of tone and innovation. Just like Brian May....he had to build what he wanted because no one else had it out there. I remember his first "Guitar Player" interview. I have never seen so many editorial comments and warnings as I did in that interview. Don't try that at home..that might blow your amp up..that can be very unsafe......that isn't normal..." That was the point....he didn't want to do things the way everyone else did...he heard something else and was driven...almost compelled to chase it. THAT is something very special indeed.
So..RIP good sir and please..when you see my Mother.....tell her I love her..and please play the intro to Jamie's Cryin' for her.
Great commentary. I agree with you 100% on the 3 most influential guitarist ever. My mom was cool with my rock music as well.
In 1978, I was a 13 year-old. My older sister brought home the 45rpm vinyl of Running with the Devil, with Atomic Punk as the flip-side! ( I still have the 45).
I was instantly blown away and within the year had myself a guitar amp and Smoke on the Water riff blaring out of my bedroom.
A bit later, I took a cassette tape of VH's 'I'm the One' to my guitar teacher for him to transcribe to tab and to teach me how to play it. He listened, rolled his eyes and said, "Boy, you're ambitious".
He did transcribe it, on the spot. I then spent many of years chipping away at learning most of VH 1.
Every time a new Van Halen album came out it was like Christmas. I feel unbelievably fortunate to have grown up in the right time to be able appreciate Eddie Van Halen from the beginning if his career.
Along with Eddie (RIP), I was also fortunate to have Ronnie Montrose (RIP), Michael Schenker and of course, Jimmy Page as my primary influences on guitar.
Thank you Warren for all of your amazing production tips. I've been an independent audio engineer for over 25 years and never get tired of learning. You are a great teacher.
Long live rock guitar 🎸
All the best,
Stew
I couldn't play a guitar to save my life but i can still remember the excitement to buy the 1st VH album when i was 15. Have absolutely been a die hard fan from the beginning and cried like crazy when i heard the news. He was very impactful even to a serious non musician like me. R.I.P. EVH.
Warren, A flagrant opportunist you are not. You have always been one of the most respectful and classy blokes out there. Thank you for everything you've done, including these videos on EVH. You have (inadvertently) given us a place to be, at exactly the time when we needed it the most. First went the professor, and now the Maestro. 2020 has truly been a rough go. I hope somehow Neil P and EVH find each other.
Thanks ever so much my friend! That really means a lot!
Thanks so much for doing this video, Warren. There's no possible way to qualify or quantify EVH's impact on music. But like you said, he influenced us tremendously as musicians and guitar players. I'm twenty years younger than Eddie, so I didn't really become aware of his music until the mid-80's. When the single "Jump" went to number 1 from the 1984 album, I was nine years old. I think that was the first time I heard Van Halen, and I loved it! Three years later I started learning to play guitar and I bought a songbook of Van Halen 1984. I didn't ever really master Eddie's style, and before long, I would move on to learn other styles and learn to emulate other great players. But until now, I had forgotten what a huge impression EVH had made on me, and how he shaped my own ethos as a guitar player more than anything.
People talk a lot about Eddie's incredible talent, his insane chops and brilliant innovations. But I think not enough people talk about his tremendous _work ethic!_ In my eyes, EVH was the last of the great musicians with the classical musician's work ethic. By the 90's, hard rock had been largely pushed aside by grunge, which ushered in a new style, and with it, a new work ethic. Perhaps not a "lesser" work ethic, but certainly one with very different priorities. Suddenly it seemed, the prevailing attitude was one of "style over skill", which is perhaps an oversimplification. But as a teenage musician, I often struggled in the early 90's to find kindred spirits who shared the strong work ethic that Eddie Van Halen had instilled in me. He made me want to work as hard as I could at learning guitar.
By around 1992, I had gotten more into classic rock and blues and I wasn't listening to Van Halen anymore. But now that I've had time to reflect on EVH and his impact on my life, I can honestly say that he, more than anyone, shaped my work ethic as a musician. He made me want to practice for hours a day, and learn everything I could. He taught me to _never settle for ordinary playing!_, to focus on my weaknesses, to be willing to develop new skills despite the awkwardness and discomfort at the beginning. He inspired me to always try doing things differently. He made me want to be a _great_ guitarist, not just an okay guitarist, before I ever started emulating anyone else. Other guitarists, like Clapton, Page, Hendrix and Gilmore, to name a few, may have had a bigger impact on my style of playing. But nobody had a bigger impact than EVH on my approach to learning the guitar.
So thank you, Eddie! I owe you more than I can measure. And thank you, Warren, for sharing your passion and your feelings with all of us.
Arguably the most influential guitarist of all time, not only did he take guitar playing to a whole new level but also the gear. Great song writer and - often overlooked - one of the best rhythm guitarists ever.
As incredible and innovative as his leads were, I was always SUPER inspired by that big shit-eating grin when he was "just" playing rhythm and locked in the groove with the band.
Exactly!! He was the complete package! Amazing player with incredible stage performance and wonderful songwriter!
Thing about Edward, not only was he doing it better than everyone else, he also looked better than anyone else doing it. Just watch the videos of him in concert or the MTV videos.
Warren, I was 11 when VH1 came out, and been playing guitar for about 1 year at that point, my main influences were Jimmi Page and Hendrix until I heard Eddie playing on that record. We lived in apartments which everyone's back patio door face each other in a quart yard, there was an older kid that played guitar who just came back from visiting family in CA, somehow he got an early release of VH1, on a Saturday afternoon he opened up his patio door and cranked up his stereo and let Eruption rip, the sound of Eddie's guitar echoed off the brick buildings in quart yards and I rushed down to his house to find out what the hell I just heard coming out of his stereo, it was a rock guitar life-altering experience in which like many from our generation became instantly mesmerized by Eddie's playing and really the whole band sound and vibe. I've seen VH many times live over the years here in the Philly area and you're right out about how you described his playing style, I kind of think about it like taking a wet towel and just using every once of hand fealing to get all the water out, lol, just really cool licks, groove ideas, techniques, and use of equipment and effects! I still have my Krammer Focus guitar and used to play it through a JCM 800 50 watts and 4x12 1950 cab, also TS and original memory man. Tonight after work I just ripped out that old-style playing and had a few beers in memory of Eddie. I actually missed you Eddie Van Halen video so going to watch it next, you know I go back in forth on using a Plexi or JCM 800 plugin for obtaining the older tones! Ciao and my sincere condolences go out to Eddie's family and everyone that part of VH family! Godbless, Aldo
In the words of Indiana Jones - "It's not the years, it's the mileage". Eddie Van Halen packed an awful lot of miles into every minute, if I can achieve 10% of what he managed to before my time is over, I will die a happy man. I have very fond memories of bunking off school, sitting in my mates car with the windows down an Van Halen blasting out. Halcyon days scored by the perfect soundtrack.
Thank you for your honest video. This was probably already commented, but he gave his guitars and his son name from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which he loved dearly
Yes, amazing!!
I grew up learning on an acoustic. EVH is the reason I ever bought an electric guitar. He was a prodigy, an innovator, and a genius who took practice seriously which is why he was so great. You don't even have to like Rock to have been inspired by such an amazing player which shows his influence on the whole of popular music. I'm grateful for his influence which led me to electric guitar playing. Between Prince, EVH, Bowie, and Peart, this is has been a rough few years of incredible losses in the world of music.
Thanks ever so much Tom for the amazing comment!!
I'm one of those Gen Xers you mentioned. Van Halen was the soundtrack to my childhood like countless others. I never had the chance to meet Eddie or see him play live but it still feels like losing someone you knew most of your life. Gone too soon like so many but he made an impact like so few ever do.
Yes! There’s many of us! Thanks ever so much my friend for your great comment!!
EVH will truly never be forgotten. A legend whose influence on guitar and many guitarists is immeasurable and invaluable. Thank you for this!
Agreed! A class act who will live on forever!
@@Producelikeapro Indeed!
This video was very touching and inspired me to tell my own VH story. the story starts when I was just a wee 14 year old lad, I'm 18 now for context. So my dad is a hip hop producer, I grew up around black music only and never listened to rock. I heard of Hendrix and heard some ACDC but that was about it. One of my best friends was in a rock band. I remember one time in convo, making fun of the music he listened too cause we were 14 and thought we were intelligent lmao. He pulled out his phone and said ok, check this. He loaded up Van Halen I and instantly, my hairs stood on end. This was from a genre of music I used to make fun of. Eddies music to me was an eye opener. Fast forward to today, I play in a band playing classic heavy metal with aspirations on being a successful musician. Without Eddie Van Halen, I would be boring myself to death in law school right now. Thanks for everything Eddie, it pains me knowing I never got to see you live.
Warren, Thank you for telling us stories about your friendship with Eddie Van Halen. It must be so hard for you right now. We are with you all the way. Eddie was such a mindblowing guitar player!
Like Eddie, .. Your Passion is what inspires us to Live, and to Love. Never stop living without it....
Still hard to believe he's gone😭 How blessed you are to know him... I get goose bumps everytime I hear his solos...
Many thanks for this tribute! Here's my own little story; I'd like to share it with you because I'm also one of those to whom Eddie meant so much personally, even though I never met him in person.
Even though I was a guitarist and massively into rock, the first thing I heard of Eddie was his guitar solo on Michael Jackson's Beat It. We played the song over and over again, just to be totally thrilled to the solo. As a short solo, in its combination of dynamism, expressiveness, variety, speed and technique, to me it remains unmatched. When I first heard it, I didn't know how it was done. It sounded miraculous, beyond the possibilities of the guitar. After Eddie, everyone started finger tapping. But no one ever quite sounded like him. There was a spontaneous inventiveness about his playing, an ease and variation that made others sound like pedestrian workmen. Even though he massively influenced the guitarists who came after him and hugely raised the level of guitar-playing, with hindsight it's clear that he was a one-off genius.
Way back in 1984, we drove to a music shop in Munderkingen, in South West Germany. They had a guitar that Eddie had played. I'm not sure now about the make; it may have been a Kramer, or a Charvel. It was a white Super Strat (two humbuckers) with the then all-new tremolo (black). The guy in the shop handed it to me; I still remember the relatively high action and the unglazed ash neck and fretboard. It was a sunny day outside and I was twenty years old, with all of life ahead of me.
When I remembered this episode the morning after he had died, I cried. He wasn't just another guitarist I listened to, he was a part of my youth and my life. RIP Eddie and ROCK ON!
When Neil Peart passed away back in January of this year, it broke my heart. I'd been a huge Rush fan all my life...and Peart was widely regarded as the world's greatest drummer. I recall saying to my wife at the time that Eddie's health had been declining and I feared he may be the next great loss. As cliche as it's become to say - Van Halen was also the soundtrack of my youth going back to '78 when I heard their first album at a friend's house party. While dealing with the sadness of losing Neil Peart, my thoughts were also on Eddie...praying I was wrong and he'd recover. But I'd heard several not-so-good stories floating around, some from insiders...and it didn't sound good. And now here we are...dealing with the grief of losing our beloved EVH. At 56 yrs old it feels like a reminder of mortality. The loss of another musical hero who's music was always in my world. I got to see VanHalen at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in '84 - and as you said the hair stood on end for the entire concert. I've been to hundreds of concerts over the years - and their's was the highlight of a lifetime by a long shot. Thanks for sharing your memories and stories - I'm glad your son has such an incredible guitar memento I'm sure he'll always treasure.
HE truly have been a great musician but most of all he maybe made the guitarist as an icon .
and he is a kind of musician our world is running out of
I have two agree 100% Avi! I do live a lot of young guys and girls, however he was a cut above everyone else!
@@Producelikeapro a real rock start !
also thank you for sharing your stories with him . it was nice to listen to :)
thank you for the great content you are putting out there for all of us :)
@@2XDJ2k thanks ever so much!! I really appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing your story Warren. All I can say is, what a guitarist! "Above and beyond" doesn't even begin to describe his contribution to music with his amazing guitar techniques! Such a shame to lose him so soon.
Thanks ever so much for your wonderful comment
He was one of just a handful of guitar gods
Agreed 100%!!
Been on the verge of tears multiple times as well. He was my guitar God growing up. Originally played drums and VH blew me away then switched to guitar and the first song I wanted to learn was ain’t talking bout love. Spent countless hours learning it. And loved every minute of it. He was just the vibe of my youth. RIP EVH....
Since his passing I've been saying the same thing on other posts and you said it during your talk, we have been blessed... For me it was his smile/grin when he was playing that brought me happiness, joy and excitement.
I just played VH music and cried all day long. Still getting emotional... What an amazing and overwhelming genius he was. R.I.P. Eddie, the GOAT ❤️🎸🎶
Virtuoso, visionary, tinkerer, inventor, revolutionary, sonic assassin, showman, hit-maker, off-the-boat immigrant, the American Dream personified. He cast a shadow we'll all stand in for a very long time. Great video.
I remember hearing the first Van Halen album at our drummers house. We had a rock band, and drummer Gary pulled out this album (yep vinyl) and said " you guys have to hear this!". He put it on the turntable, and we were stunned. Myself, our lead guitarist Craig, and Gary were just blown away. Like being hit in the head with a hammer, our jaws dropped to the floor, bewilderment on our faces. It was like "what the hell is he doing? How is that possible?" We had never heard anything like it before. We just looked at each other with dazed N glazed awe! Revolutionary! Mind blowing! Awe struck! Damn! Who is this guy!!! Eddie Van Halen took the reigns of rock guitar and rode that beast like no other before. He will be missed. I think he so raised the bar that no one would touch him for years and years and years. Seeing Van Halen live was like seeing the magic right before your eyes, and still not believing what you just witnessed! Unbelievable... Thank you Eddie. God bless his family and all who loved him.
Like all guitar players I know, although this was 30 years ago for me, I can pinpoint exactly when I heard eruption for the first time. I still can visualize myself listening to it as a teenager.
Thanks for sharing those amazing stories! He was truly the Mozart of guitar. The world of music is definitely not the same without him.
Van Halen (and that era of music) was popular when I was in high school. We all would study and look up to him as the ultimate guitarist. I still associate his music with youthful exuberance and the spirit of rock music.
Love this brother. Thanks for doing this.
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
Growing up in SoCal Eddie is our hometown hero. Hearing Van Halen at a very young age pushed me in the direction of music, and guitar. Thank you for all the videos, and sharing your stories Warren. Long live the King 🎼🎸🎹❤️
Thanks ever so much Ryan!! You Rock!!
Thank you for the story ! I'm from Russia and it was you who inspired me to learn English ! We are colleagues and you have great content on the channel ! I think very soon I will be able to understand you without subtitles ! I wish you and your channel prosperity !
Wow! Thanks ever so much!!
As I began to learn guitar, I started with simple chords into Beatles tunes. I progressed into blues and into soloing (trying to be like Hendrix and Jerry). Then as I progressed past "Layla" and attempting "Free Bird," I discovered the sheer impressive complexity and genius of EVH. I was so blown away that I didn't want to attempt to comp his style; just to love, adore, and appreciate it. I learned so much from him: technique, modality, song construction, et al. He is #1 in my book as a complete innovator.
Funny story, a good friend/bandmate of mine is always trying to improve his soloing/song structure. I was the drummer in the band, and we were jamming one day. We decided to take a break and switch instruments, and I began playing "Panama". He began laughing with excitement as he never realized how intricate the song was. So he ran to grab my acoustic, and we jammed on that tune for over an hour. His tunnel vision towards perfection was dismantled by EVH's return of excitement into rock. The next week, my buddy had that (and a few more VH songs) down pat and his tunnel vision was gone. We both learned a lot from EVH, and this is a dagger to my musical heart.
So cheers, mate. Thanks for all the great content, and know that you're helping all the other EVH's out there that haven't been discovered yet.
As a guitarist I have spent so much time this week trying to indicate to non-musicians, non-guitarists, what it was like to hear Van Halen for the first time in the late 70s or early 80s and it is so difficult to do because it was as though the radiation from the sound of his playing rearranged your cell structure to turn you into a guitarist. There is no other way to describe it, the joy of listening close, over and over, to the records trying to wrap your brain around what he was doing or the sound of his playing. Or looking at the photos of his guitar hoping to find the secret there only to realize it was just, as I heard Dave say years ago in an interview about Ed's guitar, "lint, spit and chicken wire." I don't know, it's taken 4/5ths of my life trying to deal with the music he put into my brain and now it will take the rest of my life to come to terms with the idea that he's gone. Thanks for the video Warren, excellent as always.
I can't help crying while watching this video... And I can't tell you how much I can relate with you Warren.
I'm a huge fan of Brian May too, but Eddie...
He was the only guitar player that made me feel the exact same feeling I have when I get on stage with my guitar... That thing I like to call "making love to the guitar"...
Thanks for this video, it really got to my heart ... Big hug
I was 10 years old, already learned guitarplaying about a year, when my older sister came to me with a new record. It was 1978, and she said "hey, you're so crazy bout guitar playing, you should have a listen to this !" - It was Van Halen I , I remember I put it on the record player, turned up the volume and - boooom ! From this moment everything was different and my life was boosted into another direction :-) The reason why I play guitar until today, ...deeply grateful
Warren, thank you for making this video, it means a lot to us grieving Van Halen fans. EVH was an immensely talented musician. He was flawless and the greatest guitar player of all time IMO. I have been listening for him for 42 years and to this day I am still amazed! RIP King Edward
Loved the video you did. I watched it Monday night and it got me to thinking about how he was doing. My wife was there and we were talking about seeing them live and all that. The next day she was with our daughter after my daughter had her wisdom teeth pulled, she called and told me he had died. I was in shock. It was a bit late in the day, and my boss is my father in law.... just told him I was gonna go check on my daughter and was bummed out. It was no problem. It’s a day I’ll never forget. Much like all the times I remember of learning something Eddie did on guitar, that fed my obsession with learning something else he did. Which led to me learning all I could by him. I’m by no means great, but without him I wouldn’t be playing guitar much less be still playing or be a good at certain things. It was all because I wanted to learn Eddies stuff. It was all that mattered at times in my life. RIP EVH.
Thanks so very much for putting your thoughts out there. I was 16 when Van Halen came out with their debut album. I too was blown away listening to my friend's album he had just got and we were listening to Eruption. I was a trumpet player who had started out on the guitar as a younger child, yet I could tell right then and there that the guitar world, and even the music world was experiencing a "phase shift". There are certain times that cement themselves in your life memory and that was one of them. As great as so many of those other players you mention are/were, EVH was truly a Mozart of his era and we may not see another musician of his caliber in our lifetime, they are that rare.
I'm glad too that you posted your EVH video the day before he passed, Rick Beato had a very good video he put out the same day and both of you showed just how much Eddie meant to you in subsequent videos. He was a gift to the world and I for one am thankful to have been alive when he was. And his boyish grin will forever live in my memory :-)
You expressed perfectly what we all feel right now. EVH was the ICON of our generation. Love your channel Warren!!!
So much of his generosity of spirit and his effervescent nature came through his body and his guitar. Every move he made and his fingers on the neck of that guitar were hypnotic. You didn’t want to take your eyes off him.
His face always seemed to be smiling. Just a warmth came from his stage presence. My guitar hero died. ❤️
I watched your video Monday night and woke up to the news of his passing Tuesday. I’ve been in a haze since. Even my gigs this week feel strange knowing that a part of my life history is gone. He’s one of the reasons I picked up guitar as a kid. He almost willed me to do it with the power, fun, and freedom in his playing. Thanks so much for putting that video out. Loved the story about Marc Broussard. We’re from about 10 miles from each other in Louisiana (in Dallas now). I appreciate what you do and the passion you have for creativity and sharing knowledge. I just discovered your channel during the Covid break and you now have a loyal consumer of everything you create. I hope to work with you one day. :) Blessings to you and your family.
For our generation, he was a truly inspiration. Despite that fact I'm a drummer, Eddie change the way I feel, perceive and listen to music. I still remember myself as a teenager, in my bedroom, putting the needle on side A of "Women and Children First", my first VH LP I ever bought. Music would never be the same, to me. Thanks Warren to share the experiences, great video.
I was so stunned when I got the news he passed away. The video you posted on Oct. 5th helped me put things in perspective so I could explain to others who never picked up a guitar, or really got into music, and why I feel so gutted about it. There isn't an amp, pedal, or guitar that hasn't had some level of influence from EVH. I've been learning a lot about production from your videos as I record at home and your channel is my go-to for a lot of recording tips and guidance (especially working with AD2!). So thank you for what you do, and thank you for illustrating Eddie's contributions in almost every facet.
I have a feeling Eddie is looking down at all these people making these videos and people listening to his tunes in remembrance and smiling. We all miss you Eddie. Thanks for all the gifts you left us with and the incredible memories for anyone that has been to a Van Halen concert, listened to a record/cd/tape/etc. So glad I was able to see him in concert in 2012. RIP wherever you are.
The first concert I took my kids to was Van Halen in 2015 in Toronto. Cost me over $1000 all said and done for the hotel, drive, food, tickets. Worth every single penny. Great memories. Edward..... Thank you.
I was about 16 when I first heard Van Halen. My listening moved away but then I bought the last album and rediscovered that raw enthusiasm. Those first albums are packed with passion, enthusiasm, skill and fun.
Thank you for sharing your story/history with EVH. I was immediately blown away hearing VH for the first time. I was pretty young, but convinced my mom to take me to get their autographs - they were at the record store when VHII was released. I got Eddie to sign mine, and I was so thrilled. For my first concert, I saw VH during the Fair Warning tour, and I was blown away again with how loud it was, how Eddie's guitar cut through, the spectacle and epicness of it. It's hard to imagine/comprehend that he was recording the VH 1 debut when he was 22 years old.
Everytime I pick up the guitar, I hear the influence of EVH in my playing. He's gonna live forever in my fingers ♥️
I balled my eyes out for hours on Tuesday night when I found out. Weeping uncontrollably at times. He meant that much to me, and obviously you as well. I know I'm not alone. YOU are not alone, Warren. RIP King Edward.
Warren, your playing shows so much of what you have learned through the years. Thank you for what you continue to ad to the music of our time. Love you Donnie
Beautiful man simply beautiful. Still crying 😭 too. We all are. We lost the best ever in my mind. Beautiful tribute. Thank you 🙏
I grew up in the 70's , played guitar in a cover band 25 miles east of Los Angeles. A local band ,from Pasadena, with 2 brothers named Van Halen were playing in backyard "beer keg" parties close to my hometown. LOTS of people would show up at these parties just to hear this band play. The only thing I can say is that the minute you saw this guy " Eddie" start playing , you knew he was going to be famous. It was impossible to comprehend how someone could make a guitar sound like that. The guy changed everything.
Yes, I'm one of the people who'd watched your EVH video shortly after its upload, and it just felt so very weird and unbelievable to hear the news the next morning about poor Eddie's passing! Plus, I'd been watching lots of VH stuff recently, a lot of which were new uploads on the channels I'm subscribed to, like Rick Beato's. Nice that he'd gotten a lot of attention, leading up to his death. And thank you for this wonderful video and for sharing your own Eddie experiences with all of us, Warren!
True words and a wonderful tribute to Eddie Van Halen, nothing but respect for Eddie Van Halen and nothing but respect for this stunning tribute. Rest in peace Eddie Van Halen, you did it your way and you had such an impish smile as you played so beautifully, you will be so missed, gone to soon ...
Thanks ever so much Cathy! That really means a lot. He was a master
Your very welcome and I am thrilled and amazed as I learn through people like yourself what a true genius sir Eddie Van Halen was, I only wish I would have known sooner about his abilities to create and play. I always loved Van Halen growing up but now with Eddie Van Halen's passing the world is learning that this amazing artist was given an unreal gift. I am sure he is playing his sweet guitar in Heaven and smiling down on us. May he rest in peace and he is free of pain and playing alongside the other great artists, who are also now, angels in Heaven XO
Since you asked for first contact stories: It's a story similar to everyone else. I was a 14 year old aspiring drummer bored to tears with classic rock, disco and the likes of The Eagles. I was dying for something new and different but couldn't articulate what that was since I had never heard it. I was listening to the radio when the DJ says, "Here's something brand new from Van Halen, you may want to hold on to something". Van who? Since the only other Van I knew of was Van Morrison I expected something soft and bluesy. The opening salvo of Unchained blows through the room and the whole world changed. This - this is exactly what I was dying for; to have my face ripped off, to have my internal organs rearranged, to have a soundtrack for my soul and to have a smile pasted across my mug. Every time I heard them that smile came back. No matter how shitty life was at the time or how bad I felt, his playing was and is like silvery drops of the most colorful, beautiful rain. Yes, Boomers had Jimi, we had Edward. He is ours and I feel so bad for the people who just don't get or will experience that feeling he gave us. Like the loss of Neil Peart, the loss of Edward Van Halen is so profound because we will never see the likes of that kind of greatness again.
I can pinpoint the exact moment I got serious about wanting to play guitar and be a musician.
1993 or 94, I had just started learning my D, G and A chords, but I wasn't all that into it. One day, my dad told me there would be a documentary about guitar on the TV that night. It was the "Guitar Heroes" episode of "The History Of Rock & Roll".
About five minutes in, they show a clip of Eddie playing his guitar solo from the Right Here Right Now live video. My young mind is blown, and my life is changed forever. From that moment, he was always the greatest of all time to me.
Thank you Eddie. Rest in peace ❤️
Your love for what you do always shines through! Whether it be production or playing or talking about the musicians you love, it's about exactly that: love. That for me is what I learned from Eddie as well. I was five when Women and Children First came out. I listened to it on a turn table at a K-Mart...and like many of us, the hairs on my skin jumped up and my heart & soul were struck by lightning! Thank you for sharing, Warren! That love can't be faked!
Well said mate... your words echoed ALL of our emotions. As I have said 100x over the last week. No Eddie = NO guitar for me. His contribution to music was and IS immeasurable...! RIP KING!!
Impossible to overstate his impact on rock guitar. Millions of imitators could at best only scratch the surface; undeniable talent and a true virtuoso.
This made me tear up just hearing what you had to say, best tribute of him I’ve seen. Eddie is my hero
I had THE classic Van Halen experience as a teenager. It was Easter 1985 and we were all off school. My brother had Van Halen 1 on cassette and left it in the stereo. I sat down bored in the chair nearby after lunch, put on the headphones and pressed play, and "Eruption" came on and I WAS TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER PLANET!!! In that moment...cells changed somehow...and the guitar was injected into my life and has never left me.
REFRESHING sincerity. Thank you for sharing your heartfelt moments with us...
Thanks ever so much
That's a lovely tribute. He's the most exciting, exhilarating guitar player that ever lived in my book. I've loved his music since 1980, when as a 14 year old I heard Women & Children First as my introduction via a slightly older and influential friend. The record had just come out. It was the *songs* that got me first, the whole thing. I loved the cockiness of Roth's voice, the pummeling drums & bass, and of course the dazzling guitar, but the strength of the tunes just blew me away. I wasn't long into rock music at that point, I liked Scorpions, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, UFO, Sabbath etc but this just *destroyed* them. I borrowed the previous two albums off the friend, put them on when I got home, and after I'd finished listening went downstairs and said to my mum "Can I have a guitar for my birthday?"... My music taste veered into other areas over the years, and I largely left that era of rock music behind but those first six VH albums have always stayed with me, they still sound as fresh as they ever did. They soundtracked my adolescence & I've never stopped loving them. As for Eddie himself, he had the incredible songwriting talent merging ferocious rock with a pop sensibility, the imaginative riffs, the vastly underappreciated rhythm playing, the inventiveness (the intro to Mean Street still bends my mind to this day), the charming stage presence, and of course the brilliant lead playing. The lot. No-one since has come close to that. I'll stop now before I bawl my eyes out again. RIP
I received my first guitar in 1986 when I turned 16. My influences before Eddie were Ace, Jimi, Jimmy and Eric. I had the same reaction when I heard the first album. I remember my first thought was, “wow I really like the Kinks’ version of You Really Got Me, but these guys are better!!” Not sure how many stops you had to have for this video, but I am in tears writing to a guy I have never met; about a guy I have never met. We have sure spent a stack of hours with his music though!! Thank you for this wonderful nod to our hero and true legend!!
Saw him in Vancouver in 91' BC place during the F.U.C.K. Tour, AIC opened the show. I went with my band, we were 4 small city boys from St.John's NFLD trying to "make it"! We were in town for a month then we saw the concert advertised. After Chains played that night, the lights came on for about 20 mins then went off again 10 min before VH. The first sound we heard was the Makita drill whirring. When Eddie jumped out we all started crying and we all didn't really realize until halfway through "Poundcake". It didn't matter we were overwhelmed and weren't afraid to show it. We all stayed 100% sober to enjoy every detail of the show while people around us were getting wasted. It will forever be one of the most important days of my life. Heard VH 1 the first time when I was 7 in 1980 it changed me from a listener to a music maker, and I still write, record my own stuff, play my own instruments and produce it all. Thank you Eddie I will love you deeply forever!!
Thank you for posting this Warren. He's already so missed!
Thanks ever so much! Yes, he is so missed!!
Hi Warren. Thank you for this. I shared and posted your EVH video last Monday. When I got the news that he had passed a few hours later when I woke up, I thought I had missed something from the your video. I wondered whether you posted it to honor his passing. I watched it again just to be sure. It wasn't about his passing. It was the perfect tribute to a living legend, albeit for the last few hours of his life. Thank you for that video.
I only met him once. A brief conversation about music, but at the end, I did get to tell him how much he meant to me.
Everytime someone says 'never meet your heroes'... I think of the time I met Ed and think 'You really needed to choose better heroes'
In retrospect that was probably the most important conversation about music I ever had or ever will have.
Rip. Rock in peace Eddie, you will be missed..i was blessed and was 10 feet in front of him when he played eruption. A day I will always REMEMBER
Warren, the top of the industry can be easily seen as being full of fashionistas and uncaring, self important types. But you show a side of the industry rarely seen; Humanity. Eddie was a big old soul, he knew who he was and was never affraid to be himself - we could all learn from that! Thanks for sharing, its cathartic for all of us right now. I'm broken.
Thanks ever so much my friend! That's very kind of you to say!
My father was an extremely gifted classical guitarist and only played on nylon-stringed guitars and was my teacher. When I discovered Van Halen in my life I started gravitating to the electric guitar because of Eddie. My father was so mad at me and would have to listen to me practice through thick walls not knowing exactly what I was trying to accomplish and for about a year had no interest. One day I came home and the old man had gone into my "studio" in the basement and played the record that was on the turntable which was Van Halen 1 of course. He had it extremely cranked with a big smile on his face and after "Atomic Punk" he turned the volume down and asked me if the guy was playing a guitar? I said yes and he instantly became one of the biggest Eddie fans and he said this kid is gonna change the world, the Mozart of our time. We went to every Van Halen concert together until the day he died
Eddie's sensibility for music, songwriting and impecable taste inspired me to go further and learn and be better. He will live forever in our brains, hearts and souls. Thank you. ❤️
Don't think about cashing in Warren. You are a genuine human being and it shows in this presentation and choice of your words. I can hear it all in your voice.
You are an honorable man my friend. And through your voice and in your remembrance of Eddie Van Halen, you immortalize Eddie and his music.
Thanks for this video.
Thank you for your story here. I am 52 and Eddie and Randy were THE 2 biggest guitarists of my generation, and my group of friends. When we were 13-14 and just starting out, it was funny back then, you were either team Eddie or team Randy lol. But of course secretly we loved them both. Eddie I think had a more profound impact because he was first and he was so new and so amazing. Randy gave it more refinement and of course the classical edging.
aside from their playing it was so cool to think about both of them, literally living just miles apart and knowing each other, and each going to the others gigs. There is a picture of an old flyer of Quiet Riot and Van Halen playing a Community College together. To this day it blows my mind thinking you could have seen Eddie and Randy at a small gig like that. those were the days weren't they? I honestly don't think there was ever a time for guitar like the early 80's.
While i like and admire the 70's guys and even earlier, for me, it was Eddie and Randy and that LA strip of that time. RIP Eddie, I hope your jammin with Randy and everyone else now. You were truly TRULY one of a kind
I first heard Eddie and his band play at a backyard house party in Pasadena somewhere around 1976 or 1977. This was before their first album came out. I was blown away!!! Who is that guitar player? How come he’s not famous? These were some of the questions I had then. I kept talking about him until their first album came out. The rest is history. Years later I also heard him play solo at the Roxy in Hollywood, out of this little amp. He opened up and introduced Alan Holdsworth. He said “this is who I listen to”. Then they jammed together. His solo playing was unbelievable! What an amazing musician and human. What a loss for the world! Rest In Peace Eddie Van Halen! You’ll be sorely missed by millions!
Lovely anecdotes Warren. He really WAS very special and your heartfelt talk to camera captured how many of us feel.
I remember listening to VH1 with headphones in 8th grade falling asleep almost every night to it. I remember focusing almost entirely on the guitar, the sound, the tone, the feeling he put in it. It felt like it was speaking to me in a language I’d never heard from another word, that I almost somehow understood in an abstract way. I have been searching for that tone for my guitar ever since. Not to mention he kept evolving his sound and tone his whole career, and they were all warm, clear, articulating every note with perfect attack. Inspiring is an understatement. Not to mention his song writing. Countless great songs and timeless riffs
So sad to hear about Eddie Van Halen’s passing. I remember first hearing about Van Halen in my early days playing guitar when my dad was watching a documentary on them. My dad and mom grew up loving them and I became intrigued. Not long after, my parents had purchased me a Van Halen Greatest Hits CD when we were visiting Vertigo Records in Chicago with my aunt. I remember putting the CD in and being blown away when the song “Eruption” came on. I had never heard anything like it. It was the craziest guitar playing I had heard at the time. I thought “dang, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do that. That’s insane!” Little did I know, I was to prove my early guitarist self WRONG. After I had been playing for a few years in 7th grade, I became re-obsessed with the song Eruption and did everything I could to figure out what Eddie was doing. I remember seeing a guy at Guitar Center playing it and I approached him and asked him how the heck he was able to play it. He showed me that he used a tapping technique with his picking hand along with hammer ons and pull offs to play all those fast moving notes. Around the same time, RUclips was starting to become a big thing. I found this 10 minute video of Eddie Van Halen doing a guitar solo along with the same tapping technique the guy at Guitar Center showed me. Of course he ends the solo with the tapping part of Eruption. I became obsessed with learning how to tap on the guitar and spent hours everyday trying to master it. After much hard work, I was able to get a handle on Eruption and posted a video of my own version of Eruption up on RUclips with the help of my friend "Will Thoms". I remember that video getting over 1,000 views at one point. I then went to perform it for my middle school talent show with my peers struck in awe. It was a great moment and I felt so accomplished. A year after in Eighth grade, I went to see Van Halen live with my friend and bandmate Casey Bloom along with our dads. We were blown away by the show and of course Eddie went up and played an amazing solo followed by an encore of “Jump" to end the show. As a freshman in High School, I sought to further perfect "Eruption" by learning how it exactly was on the original recording I had heard. I ended up finding a guy on RUclips who teaches you how to play Eruption note for note. Although I had gotten that down within a month or two, I don’t think I ended up posting a video of it until a couple years ago when I was in Boston. Recently I have been teaching a student how to play the tapping part in Eruption and he comes to me each week getting better and better at it. It feels great to be influenced by such an amazing talent and to be able to pass that talent to others as well. I love many of Van Halen’s songs but “Eruption" is the one that has had the most influence on me. It completely changed the way I played guitar and was a vital stepping stone to where I am today as a player. Eddie, you have had a profound influence on my playing and you will be greatly missed. I’ll never be able to play “Eruption” the way you did, but thank you for showing me that I can find my own way of playing music. Your legacy lives on for eternity. Peace and love to your soul and blessings to the whole Van Halen family.
Somewhere up there, there's an absolutely killer band with Bonzo on the drums, Entwistle on bass, Freddie on vocals and EVH on guitar.
Amazing!!!
There are a gazillion stories like this but each one of us tells it differently. I was a kid and someone loaned me a cassette of Van Halen because for whatever reason his tastes were turning to traditional blues. It was so bizarre now I think about it - I guess he was just not in that space and that's ok. Now, the tape was not rewound to side 1, so I ended up hearing the songs out of sequence.
And then I heard Eruption and you know exactly what happened. My frickin' brain melted. I could not believe what I was hearing. How was he doing that? How can a human play so fast?! It was not just that it was fast - it was so utterly beautiful. I'd barely heard much guitar music before - I kinda wasn't into music much, so I went from zero to Eddie in the space of 10 minutes. I listened to that tape over and over, maybe thirty times, and Eruption maybe a hundred... and the next day I went to the guitar shop without knowing anything about the guitar, looked at a few and they were all out of my price range. When I walked out of the shop I saw the most beautiful guitar in the window with a £
299 price tag on it, with a Floyd. The dude in the shop checked the ticket and said it had been erroneously priced, but we chatted and my passion was overflowing and I told him about Eddie and he sold me this £
700 guitar and here I am almost 40 years later still in awe and crying my eyes out at the genius that we have been so privileged to enjoy. His note choices still are incredible. His ability to meld sounds into music in real time at hyperspeed with the genius of improvisation was endlessly amazing. This is what separated him from the rest - his ability to play it differently every time... but each time to be demigod level. The swing, the groove, the growl, the thump... all of this and brilliant, amazing melodies in the riffs and the solos. Hardly any overdubs - just all out music music music. I love every single album of Van Halen's - we have so many riches to revel in. I am glad that his suffering is over and my heart goes out to Wolfie, Janie and Alex.
Yesterday someone asked me "Well what happens now? Who is the future of music?"
I answered "Let me tell you one thing: Eddie Van Halen is the future of music."
Yes, when I heard Van Halen in 78 or 79 it was a game changer. Didn't sound like anything I had ever heard before.
Agreed 100% Erik! Absolutely incredible!!
Same time I heard him. Life changed
It really hurts to watch this, because I can see that you are in pain as you grieve one of the greatest guitarists of all time. I bet it was exhausting to film this, but thank you for sharing this with us, Warren. ❤️
When I heard of his passing I was truly heartbroken his music got me through the worst and best parts of my life! I actually feel like I knew him personally. What a tremendous loss we have suffered. But his music will always be here.
I never thought of you as an emotional man, much love from Syracuse, New York 😔🤘🏼
Aw shucks! Yes, I do have feelings! Haha
Thanks for this video and sharing your love for Ed. A lot of us can relate. He was an amazing inspiration to us all. HE will be greatly missed. Truly one of a kind and the reason my world revolves around music and specifically rock.