Alex Van Halen Breaks Silence on His Brother’s Death

Most of the key musicians in Eddie Van Halen’s life — David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, and Michael Anthony — all expressed their sadness and grief over the guitarist’s death in the hours following the announcement of his passing. His son, Wolfgang, who played bass in Van Halen from 2007 onwards, was the one who broke the news of his father’s death to the world. That left Eddie’s brother Alex who, of course, played drums in the band from beginning to end, as the one notable absence from public view.

Alex has finally broken his silence, and while his statement is incredibly short, that brevity likely speaks to the profound emotional experience he’s going through at the moment.

Alex released the statement to Van Halen News Desk, long a hub of official news for the band:

“Hey Ed. Love you. See you on the other side. Your brother, Al.”

I imagine that’s all Alex was capable of mustering at the moment, and that’s quite alright. We look forward to hearing more from him in the future, and continue to send all our best to the Van Halen family.

Eddie died Tuesday at the age of 65. He had been rumored to be in poor health in recent years and was undergoing treatment for throat cancer.