Eddie Van Halen's wild life from drinking at 12 to rehab before cancer diagnosis
Rock star Eddie Van Halen has died at the age of 65 following a battle with throat cancer, his son has confirmed
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Eddie Van Halen cemented his name in the rock and roll hall of fame after co-founding the band Van Halen in the 1970s.
His death at the age of 65 today, following a long battle with throat cancer, sent shockwaves through the music world and left fans around the world heartbroken.
Masterminding some of the band's most iconic tracks, Eddie secured a legacy as a rock icon and an electric guitar mastermind who influenced a generation of musicians.
His ascent to fame came hand in hand with a rock and roll lifestyle, with Eddie's personal issues stretching well beyond his emergence into the spotlight.
Born in the Netherlands in 1955, it was before he had even become a teenager that the would-be rock star became addicted to alcohol.
In a candid interview with Billboard some years ago, Eddie revealed how at just 12 years old he needed alcohol to function.
“I was an alcoholic, and I needed alcohol to function,” he told the publication.
“I started drinking and smoking when I was 12. I got drunk before I’d show up to high school.
"My ninth grade science teacher, he could smell the alcohol, and he told me, ‘Don’t drink anything you can’t see through.’ And I was like, ‘So, vodka?’ And he said yeah. Which was great, because that was my drink..."
During the interview, the music icon also spoke about his upbringing and how he eventually became and 'angry drunk'.
He continued: "I’m not blaming my father at all, but he was an alcoholic, too.
"So in our household, it was normal. But it never affected his work, although I guess it didn’t affect my work, either.
Founding Van Halen in 1972, the group shot to fame in the Los Angeles' venues before landing a record deal and sealing their fate as one of the most iconic rock and roll bands of the time.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1995, Eddie revealed that he had already been to rehab twice, according to Reuters.
He also admitted that he was arrested for drink-driving after leaving an Alcoholics Anonymous having stopped at a bar for some shots.
"I always got hammered to be able to cope,” he said to the publication.
“I have zero social skills and I don’t know how to act, so I get drunk. And then I make a real a** out of myself.”
In 2000, the rock star was diagnosed with tongue cancer but had managed to beat the disease two years later.
However, his battle with alcohol continued for several years before the dad of one entered rehab in 2007 to finally put an end to his addiction.
He had been sober ever since 2008.
Eddie had been a heavy smoker, but maintained that he developed throat cancer after carrying a metal guitar pick in his mouth.
In the last few years he had been secretly battling the cancer and undergoing treatment with the support of his family.
Eddie's son Wolfgang confirmed the tragic news that the icon had passed away at St Johns Hospital in Santa Monica on Tuesday.
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