10 Musicians Who Died In 2020
5. Eddie Van Halen
One of the most shocking deaths of 2020 came in the form of the wild haired, finger tapping guitar God Eddie Van Halen. As one of the titular members of Van Halen, Eddie was a hero to many guitar slingers, an innovative and forward thinking axe man who could be indulgent but never boring, pioneering an instantly recognisable style that perfectly melded molten metal chops with an impeccable pop sensibility.
Eddie formed a band with his brother Alex in 1972, and named it after themselves. They barely put a foot wrong for their first six albums, with the two self titled releases and 1984 proving particularly successful.
Singers came and went, but Eddie and Alex were constants, releasing albums up to 2012 and frequently touring. Their enviable songwriting chops have allowed their wildfire metal to age far better than that of their contemporaries.
Eddie died of a stroke at just 65, taking the rock world by complete surprise. His son and erstwhile bandmate Wolfgang has confirmed Van Halen won’t go on without him.