Why Wolfgang Van Halen Thinks His Dad ‘Ruined Landscape Of ’80s Rock’

Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, recently expressed a daring opinion about the Van Halen frontman’s music career. While discussing on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, he said Eddie’s evolution affected the rock landscape negatively in the ‘80s.

He specifically noted that his father ruined the music scene at the time despite being a sought-after guitarist and songwriter. Wolfgang’s verdict does not water down the late icon’s impact, though, as he was recognized for radicalizing guitar instrumentals.

Wolfgang bares his thoughts about Eddie Van Halen’s career

Wolfgang noted that his father’s popularity led to a bandwagon that created same-sounding music because they wanted to sound like Eddie. This led to a lack of originality and innovation in the ‘80s rock circle, which was Eddie’s fault.

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The 33-year-old added that Eddie’s unique guitar skills dominated the rest of his contributions to music and the Van Halen group. Beyond his talent, he also displayed excellent showmanship that kept all eyes and ears on him to a fault.

Wolfgang misses his father

Eddie died of throat cancer in 2020, months before his 66th birthday. Wolfgang was devastated by the news, calling him the best father he could ever ask for in his tribute. Father and son performed together on multiple occasions before the tragic incident, creating memories for Wolfgang to cling to.

Wolfgang created Mammoth WVH in 2021 and got to work immediately after the release of their debut album. Wolfgang is sad that Eddie never got to witness the group perform, just like he was absent at his wedding to Andraia Allsop last year.