Rock legend Eddie Van Halen dies at 65, after long battle with cancer

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen died on Tuesday, following a long battle with cancer, reported AFP quoting his son.

Halen, who was a part of the American rock band Van Halen, died at the age of 65.

“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,” Wolf Van Halen wrote in a message on Twitter.

“He was the best father I could ever ask for,” he added. “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,” wrote his son Wolf.

Born in the Netherlands and raised in California, Van Halen founded the rock group with his older brother Alex in the 1970s and quickly earned a fan base.

The group’s classic hits include “Runnin’ with the Devil,” and the guitar solo “Eruption.”

Van Halen has sold more than 75 million albums and has more number one hits on the mainstream US rock chart than any other artist, according to the band’s label.