Wolfgang Van Halen opened up Monday about the enduring pain he feels following the death last month of his father, rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen.
“It’s terrible. Every day, man,” the 29-year-old told Howard Stern. “Some days are better than others. The pain is still there always, but you just kind of figure out how to carry it a little better as time goes on.
“But it’s always gonna hurt.”
Wolfgang said his father was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in late 2017 and told he had six weeks to live. Eddie went to Germany to receive treatment. “Whatever the f**k they do over there, it’s amazing, because I got three more years with him.”
Eddie died Oct. 6. He was 65.
“We had such a close connection and now, for the rest of my life, there’s no way I’ll never be able to think about him no matter what I do — which is good but also hurts a lot,” said Wolfgang.
The musician shot down rumours he will take his father’s place in the band that bears his family name. “That’s f**king stupid,” he fumed. “You can’t have Van Halen without Eddie Van Halen. I’m not my dad. I’m not going to replace him.
“I’ve spent my life making sure I’m not like him and I’m my own person.”
Wolfgang said fans are going to have to live with their memories of Van Halen. “Outside of maybe a tribute show at some point down the line and archival releases further down the line, [Van Halen]’s done,” he said.
“The music is going to live on forever but you can’t continue without Eddie Van Halen.”
Wolfgang debuted "Mammoth," a song dedicated to his dad. "While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life," he explained, in a statement. Listen to the song below: