Indonesian Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - Perhaps the highest achievement in Eddie Van Halen's career is to gain world recognition as one of the best guitarists ever. However, Eddie was bigger than that. Together with his band, Van Halen, Eddie continued to amaze his fans from the 1980s to the 1990s.

Every heyday must end. Like Eddie, who passed away on Tuesday, October 6. The 65-year-old man died of throat cancer.

“I don't believe it, but I have to write this, my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and difficult fight against this cancer. He is the best father, "Wolfgang wrote on Twitter, Wednesday, October 7.

pic.twitter.com/kQqDV7pulR

- Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020

"Every moment I share with him on and off stage is a gift. My heart breaks and I think I will never fully recover from this loss. I love you so much," he added.

Deep grief was not only uttered by the son of the musician. His fellow musician, Bruce Kulick, also expressed his sorrow. The former guitarist from the legendary band KISS remembers Eddie as one of his role models in music. Bruce said, many of Eddie's guitar playing inspired him to continue working in the world of music.

“I am saddened by the news of the death of one of my true guitar heroes, Eddie Van Halen. He's broadening the landscape of guitar playing, and taking it to another level, it's like a car with a turbo leaving everyone behind. I was very much influenced by his emotional play. EVH RIP, "said Bruce.

I am saddened to hear to news one of my true guitar heroes of death, Eddie Van Halen. He expanded the landscape of lead guitar playing, and took it to another level like a turbo charged muscle car leaving everyone behind. I was very influenced by his emotional lead playing. EVH RIP pic.twitter.com/b26nrXYPti

- Bruce Kulick (@brucekulick) October 6, 2020

Not left behind. American singer Billie Joel even called Eddie's departure irreplaceable. According to Billie, Eddie's departure brought a deep void for world music.

Shocked to hear of the death of the great Eddie Van Halen.

He was a consummate musician and an extraordinary virtuoso on the guitar.

He leaves a giant footprint and an irreplaceable void.

- Billy Joel

📸: Kevin Mazur pic.twitter.com/Y1uAoVp2NE

- Billy Joel (@billyjoel) October 7, 2020

“Shocked to hear of the great death of Eddie Van Halen. He is a perfect musician and an extraordinary virtuoso on guitar. He left an irreplaceable trail of greatness, "said Billie.

Eddie's family trail in Banten

The traces of the parents of a man whose full name is Edward Lodewijk Van Halen became known to the public when he answered questions from his bandmate, David Lee Roth. At that time, Lee Roth tried to ask Eddie and his brother Alex Van Halen about where their parents came from. As a result, both of them gave answers.

Alex answered that his mother came from Indonesia. Meanwhile, Eddie mentioned a more specific location, namely Rangkasbitung, Lebak, Banten. Launching The New York Times , Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was born to Jan and Eugenia (beers) Van Halen on January 26, 1955.

Eddie's father was a versatile classical musician. The father is a clarinet, saxophonist and pinanist from the Netherlands. Then, Eddie's mother is a beautiful woman of Indo-Dutch descent who was born in Rangkasbitung, Banten Province.

The two are said to have met in Indonesia when his father was on a music tour to Indonesia. It was the first time they had met. Long story short, both got married and Eddie and Alex were born.

Move to America

Nevertheless, Eddie's father, who brought his wife to the Netherlands for a better life, even felt that he was not at home in the Land of Windmills. The prejudice against his wife, who is a descendant of a mixed marriage –Indo — is one of the reasons.

For that, in order to change fate and build a new life, Eddie's father brought his family out of the Netherlands to move to the United States (US) in 1962. Eddie was seven years old.

They settled in Pasadena, California. Due to a difficult life, Eddie's father and mother worked hard to support their children. Her mother worked as a maid. Meanwhile, his father worked as a janitor, while occasionally looking for additional income by becoming a musician.

Feeling that the chances of being US citizens were better, by the father, the siblings immediately naturalized. Not only that, his two children were taught to play classical piano from the age of six. Uniquely, this is where the duo Van Halen's musical talent begins.

However, Eddie admitted that he was not that serious in music. “I never learned how to read music. I fooled my teacher for six years. He never found out. I'm going to take care of the fingers, and I'm going to play them, "he said in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1995.

Success with Van Halen

Luckily, Eddie often listens to music composed by British bands, The Dave Clark Five. Through the band's works, the brothers were inspired to start a band and play rock n roll.

The two began to share roles. Eddie was on drums and Alex was on guitar. Due to Eddie's sensitivity while playing music with Alex, the two then changed formations.

Eddie made the decision to see Alex's development in terms of music. According to Eddie, Alex is more suited to playing drums. In addition, Eddie began to play the role of a guitarist, which he began to seriously pursue.

Their seriousness in the world of music immediately gave birth to their first band called Broken Combs. Unhappy with the name, they both changed the band's name to Genesis in 1972. A name already used by British bands.

Both of them were so absorbed in their music. Every time they played music, the Van Halen brothers often rented a sound system from David Lee Roth, who eventually joined Eddie and Alex as vocalists.

To be complete, Eddie also recruited Michael Anthony as a bass player and changed their band name to Mammoth. In the end, both Eddie, Alex, Lee Roth and Anthony changed the band name back to Van Halen. Unexpectedly, Dewi Fortuna is in the siblings' family name.

Presumably, when the band officially changed its name to Van Halen, success followed their steps. later, Van Halen became one of the bands in the world that managed to sell more than 56 million albums. And that's only in the US.

In memory of Eddie, there is no song that best describes Eddie's determination to become a musician other than a piece from Van Halen's song Jump (1984).

I get up and nothing 'gets me down,

You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around,

And I know, baby, just how you feel,

You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real.