Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso who propelled his band Van Halen into one of hard rock's biggest groups, elevated to the status of rock god, has died at the age of 65. A person close to Van Halen's family confirmed the rocker died on October 6 due to cancer. The person was not authorized to publicly release details in advance of an official announcement.

With his distinct solos, Eddie Van Halen fueled the ultimate California party band and helped knock disco off the charts starting in the late 1970s. Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Rolling Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen at No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.