Wolfgang Van Halen, son of the late guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen, has shared his first solo single, and it’s a tribute to his father.
The song, ‘Distance’, was written for Eddie whilst he was battling cancer. As Wolfgang explains, it was his way of “imagining what my life would be without him and how terribly I’d miss him.”
“No matter what the distance is, I will be with you,” he sings on the track.
The soaring, stadium-ready track saw Wolfgang play all the instruments and tackle vocal duties. It’s been released under Mammoth WVH — an homage to Eddie’s pre-Van Halen bands.
The song ends with a gutting voicemail from Eddie, “I’m so happy to have you as my son. I’m so proud of you. I love you so much. Call me if you get a chance. I just want to hear your voice. OK? I love you. [Kiss noise].”
While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life. I never intended ‘Distance’ to be the very first piece of music people would hear from me, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release. This is for him. I love and miss you, Pop,” Wolfgang shared in a statement.
Listen to ‘Distance’ by Wolfgang Van Halen:
Eddie Van Halen passed away on October 6th, following a lengthy battle with cancer.
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“I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” wrote Wolfgang at the time of his fathers death. “He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.”
“My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss.I love you so much, Pop.”
