October 7, 2020
I’m not sure that this is just a guy thing. Although Rock and Classic Rock are usually associated with men 25 to 64, losing Eddie Van Halen includes everybody. Musically… Eddie showcased incredible once in a lifetime skills while maintaining the image of what a Rock Star should look and act like. Most guys wanted that incredible head of hair and always on fire smile and the girls wanted Eddie. We all knew he had cancer. We chose not to believe it. Like the moment we first heard his music. We couldn’t believe what he was pumping out. I was too late for Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. In the 70’s it was all about looking forward not looking back. When Eddie Van Halen first burst onto the scene it was at the tail end of Disco and during the opening moments of Punk. Eddie introduced a sound that would reach into the soul of music and invite others to participate. In the chapters ahead we got to know Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen of Def Leppard, Joe Satriani and Steve Via. Suddenly the front man or woman wasn’t the only superstar in the lineup. Look at the impact of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Carlos Santana. Each had a way of elevating the performance by allowing other members to be in their own zone without stealing from them. Neal Schon of Journey. Tom Sholz of Boston and even Ace Frehley from KISS. Not one generation but multiple have been and will be inspired and influenced by every one of these talents and I’ll write about each as time begins to take away the members of our memory makers. We’ve lost a master. Not just of music but thought. In all things that became part of Eddie’s signature it all started with a thought. A moment that he invested in then brought it forward. I can’t count how many times my thoughts are set aside or long forgotten before I locate a sheet of paper to write it down. During these days of Covid shutdowns, what if the lesson learned here is to put your thoughts in a place where they can be used as a future tool. To collaborate with other thoughts. To be turned into a physical presence in a world needing impact makers and not old habit products. Thoughts. Something so simple turned Eddie Van Halen into a moment that won’t be tossed into a box and forgotten. His thoughts are forever a part of your tool kit. It’s time to start listening to your thoughts.