Wolfgang Van Halen has paid a moving tribute to his late father Eddie Van Halen with is debut solo single, Distance. It's the first material from his forthcoming debut album, due in 2021.
“As my pop continued to struggle with various health issues, I was imagining what my life would be like without him and how terribly I’d miss him," reveals Wolfgang. "While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life.”
Wolfgang wrote the song and performed all the instrumentation and Distance is described as an "open letter" to his father Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on 6 October. Michael Elvis Baskette (Alter Bridge, Slash) produces. It's a glimpse into their close and supportive relationship. The Distance video ends with a loving voicemail left from Eddie to Wolfgang.
“I never intended ‘Distance’ to be the very first piece of music people would hear from me," adds Wolfgang. "But I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release. This is for him. I love and miss you, Pop.”
Wolfgang is donating his portion of all proceeds from Distance to the Mr Holland’s Opus Foundation. Eddie Van Halen was very supportive of the organisation via numerous donations throughout his lifetime.
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Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
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