Eddie Van Halen Turns 60 Today
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Eddie Van Halen turns 60 today.
The legendary axe-man turned the rock music world upside down when Van Halen's first album launched in 1978. The album featured flashy guitar playing filled with loud squeals, lots of legato, and Eddie's legendary two-finger tapping technique.
This became a trend in the following decade, and guitarists such as Paul Gilbert and the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbot have cited him as an influence.
Famous rock guitarists have been wishing Eddie a happy birthday under the hashtag #EVH60.
Happy 60th birthday to the great Eddie Van Halen!! #EVH60 pic.twitter.com/YLtv3DLnGp
-- Slash Mob (@Slash_Mob) January 26, 2015
Even if he'd never played a note after '78's "Van Halen" LP, he'd STILL be king. Happy 60th Bday King Edward! #EVH60 pic.twitter.com/32ZxJow4ji
-- Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) January 26, 2015
Happy 60th Birthday to @eddievanhalen !!! January 1981 @GuitarWorld cover - http://t.co/oJwdRb0vbJ #EVH60 pic.twitter.com/fSwsgsmv3n
-- Guitar World (@GuitarWorld) January 26, 2015
There have been rumors that Van Halen has a new album in the works. These, however, have been dispelled by several sources.
The rumors started in February of 2014, when Blabbermouth reported that ex-Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti spoke of a new Van Halen album, which would have been their first release since 2012.
In November, however, Van Halen News Desk reported otherwise, stating, "Of course, we would love nothing more for that to be true. But don't want to see Van Halen fans get excited about something that's not happening.
The rumor simply is not true. The fact of the matter is that Van Halen has not recorded a new album, or any new music, for that matter."
If you want to wish Eddie a happy birthday, send him a tweet with the hashtag #EVH60. For more about Van Halen, visit the band's official website here.