Wolfgang Van Halen is remembering his father, the iconic rocker Eddie Van Halen, on the one-year anniversary of his death.
In a tribute written on Instagram, the 30-year-old opened up about his father’s death and admitted he was struggling to deal with the grief he has been experiencing for the past 12 months.
"One year. You fought so hard for so long, but you were still taken away. It’s just so unfair," Wolfgang captioned a photo of him sitting on the couch with his father. He is plucking the strings of a bass guitar while Eddie Van Halen, who is holding the guitar, pats him affectionately on the head.
"I’m not ok. I don’t think I’ll ever be ok. There’s so much I wish I could show you. So many things I wish I could share with you," Wolfgang continued. "I wish I could laugh with you again. I wish I could hug you again. I miss you so much it hurts. I’m trying to do my best here without you, but it’s really fucking hard. I hope you’re still proud."
Concluding his post, Wolfgang wrote, "I love you with all of my heart, Pop. Watch over me."
Eddie Van Halen died on Oct. 6, 2020, at age 65 following a battle with cancer. His official death certificate listed stroke as his direct cause of death. The document also listed several underlying causes including pneumonia, the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome, as well as skin and lung cancer.
"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift." Wolfgang wrote in a Facebook post at the time. "My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."
During an interview with People, Wolfgang revealed that he had stopped working on his debut album," Mammoth WVH," to help care for his ailing father. However, after his death, Wolfgang realized he wanted to carry on his father's musical legacy.
"I’m an extension of him and I’m just happy to be here to spread the good word of who he was and how he should be remembered," he said. "I think he is like a Mozart of our generation. I think as far removed as we are from Mozart, and we still talk about him and know who he is, that’s what he’s going to be."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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