Such a bummer. Van Halen was a big part of my childhood. Though I will probably be slapped around a bit for admitting I liked Sammy better than David.
I'm a big Van Halen fan. I used to sneak my dad's old tapes of theirs and give them a workout. RIP.
Very sad. One of the greatest guitarist ever.
My brother was a huge fan. Even travelled to Toronto to see them live, IIRC (Kitchener, where we grew up, was too small to land a band like that). I wasn't at first but warmed up to them later and now I'd consider myself a fan. They are definitely part of the soundtrack of my youth and Eddie stands as one of the finest musicians of that era.