Eddie Van Halen (January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was a Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer, considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He achieved fame as a founding member of the iconic hard rock band Van Halen in the ‘70s and '80s.

On October 6, 2020, Eddie passed away after a long battle with throat cancer. Although not certain, Eddie believed that his illness was caused by continually keeping a metal guitar pick in his mouth during shows; however, he also famously smoked cigarettes on stage and liked to blow smoke rings.

His legacy is undeniable, as he seemed to influence a new wave of guitarists that came after him. The best example of his impact and how he changed the music landscape would be the scorching guitar solo found on Van Halen’s February 1978 self-titled debut, titled “Eruption.” With a mere 1:42 runtime, it is still widely considered to be the greatest guitar solo in music history.

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