Rock star Eddie Van Halen died today at the age of 65 following a long battle with throat cancer.
His son Wolfgang shared the news on social media and said of his heartbreak at losing “the best father I could ever ask for”.
The iconic rocker was diagnosed with cancer almost 20 years ago and has been travelling between the US and Germany for his treatment, according to TMZ.
The US website reports that Eddie “believes [his cancer] is from a metal guitar pick he used more than 20 years ago”.
He’s reportedly been told that could have caused the cancer – despite the fact he was a heavy smoker and a drug user.
Eddie Van Halen is reportedly suffering with throat cancer (Image: FilmMagic)
In 2000, shortly after his diagnosis, doctors removed close to a third of Eddie’s tongue.
TMZ reports that doctors also “scraped out” cancerous cells that migrated down to his throat.
According to the website, Eddie has been flying between Germany and the United States for radiation treatment and “for the most part it’s worked to keep the disease in check”.
Eddie Van Halen believes his cancer was caused by a metal guitar pick (Image: WireImage)
Previously, in 2005, the musician told Billboard: “I used metal picks – they’re brass and copper – which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer.
“Plus, I basically live in a recording studio that’s filled with electromagnetic energy. So that’s one theory.
“I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it’s possible.”
Eddie Van Halen doesn’t think smoking or drug use caused his cancer (Image: GC Images)
Van Halen – made up of Eddie, his brother Alex Van Halen, Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen and singer David Lee Roth – last performed at the October 2015 Hollywood Bowl.
The band was formed in 1972 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
They’re known for iconic songs such as Jump, which was introduced to a new generation when Girls Aloud covered it, and the 1984 hit Hot For Teacher.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
