Eddie van Halen

The first guitar magazine I ever bought, Beat Instrumental, had an interview with a hot new guitar star that suggested there was life beyond punk. Later in 1978 I saw Van Halen blow Black Sabbath off the stage of The Bristol Hippodrome. The first album mingles hard rock and punk better than any band except Motorhead. Reading Eddie van Halen talk about Allan Holdsworth lead to Bruford's 'One of a Kind' and the first U.K. album and then on to Holdsworth's solo work and into Jazz Rock and most other sorts of Jazz. Reading Steve Lukather's self serving autobiography he minimises Van Halen's role on  Beat It, which is rubbish, it's one of the iconic guitar solos. Reading Thomas Dolby's memoir he talks about becoming friends with Eddie van Halen who contributed to his excellent 'Astronauts and Heretics' album.

And now he's gone, from Cancer aged 65. A tweet from the band Pearl Jam says "changed everything and played with soul". That is probably a pretty decent legacy. His finest moment below.