Somewhere in the nation you just know that there are folks saying “Okay 2020, that’s enough…”, and they’re not wrong for saying so really, but it’s still a bit naive to state that 2020 is responsible for the passing of some of the greatest minds and talents that have ever been known. The sad part is that rock stars sometimes, SOMETIMES, burn out the quickest since some of them have lifestyles that people can only describe as wild and completely out of control now and then. Far be it from me to say anything negative about Eddie Van Halen, since the man is a legend among musicians deserves all the respect he’s been given. But he did have a drug and alcohol problem for a good part of his life, and after battling cancer for so long, it is what finally claimed him recently, life has a way of catching up to people at times, reminding us that we are mortal, no matter that one’s name and works can become immortal through the love and adoration of the fans. One thing that’s abundantly clear is that Eddie will be celebrated and given his due as the years pass on and his music continues to be picked up and loved by one generation after the next. Anyone that’s listened to Van Halen long enough will know why this is so and won’t bother correcting those that state that Eddie is a legend that deserves to be glorified in many ways.
Reading up on his beginnings it’s fun to see how far he came and what he was responsible for in his life since, despite the fact that at one point he did need alcohol just to function, it’s impressive to see what he accomplished in his life. As many know, diehard fans of anyone or anything tend to want to hear that their idols are nothing less than perfect since there’s just no way that they can be anything less. When thinking of the lifestyle that some band members enjoy throughout a good portion of their lives it’s not hard to see how some of them die young, while others go on to develop serious addictions and other issues. Thankfully at one point, Eddie did get clean and he was sober up until his passing it sounds like. There does come a time in everyone’s life when they have to figure that it’s not worth it to keep going the same way they’ve been going and that it might be time to finally own up to it and do something about it. Thinking about this it’d be nice to reason that Eddie had put a lot of his demons in the past, if not all of them, before the end came. It’s a pleasing thought really.
It’s very easy to call Eddie a student of the music, as well as a constant lover to the sound since he and his brother Alex started out in a band in the fourth grade and that, appears to be where he found the love for it, a feeling that wouldn’t fade as the years went on and he and Alex continued to find fame as they formed the band, Van Halen, in the early 70s, around 1974. In 77 they were offered a contract and things just started moving up from there as the world eventually came to know about Van Halen and came to love them in a big way. For some of us it might be kind of easy to lament that we weren’t old enough, or even around at that point, to see the rise of one of the greatest bands of all time, but thankfully Eddie and Alex have been around for long enough for many people to get into the Van Halen experience and truly enjoy what they’ve had to offer. His passing is definitely sad and it does feel as though he died way too young since many people in their 60s are often still in the prime of their life and haven’t yet hit a downward slope. But a lot of it does likely come down to the lifestyle that Eddie enjoyed for so long, as despite being clean for so long, that particular bill is hard to pay off all at once without suffering any long-term repercussions. Drug use, alcohol, and cancer are all massive issues that don’t just up and go away on their own. The fact that he took care of the first two and fought the third for so long is admirable since it shows that he was willing to change and was tough beyond belief since he held on for a good long while. But eventually, the body simply can’t take any more, and something has to give.
Another legend has been lost, and the world is a little less bright for it. Rest in peace sir, you’ll be missed.
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