Wolfgang Van Halen Says He Is 'Over' Controversy Surrounding Eddie Van Halen Tribute At Grammy Awards

Eddie Van Halen‘s son says that he is “over” the controversy surrounding the way his father was recognized by The Recording Academy at this year’s Grammy Awards.

The legendary VAN HALEN axeman was included within the “In Memoriam” section on the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, the place The Recording Academy paid tribute to musicians who died prior to now 12 months. At one level within the section, Eddie Van Halen‘s name flashed across the screen over a clip of him shredding a guitar solo while a spotlight shone on his iconic red-white-and-black guitar.

Eddie‘s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, later revealed in a social media post that he was approached by the Grammy producers to perform his father’s signature guitar instrumental “Eruption” in the course of the broadcast however that he declined.

In a brand new interview with Billboard, Wolfgang stated: “At this point, I’m over it. I spoke with Harvey Mason Jr. who is now like the head. He’s a really nice guy and I had a nice conversation with him about the future of rock representation so I’m excited to see what the future brings with the Grammys, possibly better representation of rock or better understanding of the importance of rock in the music industry.”

Back in March, Wolfgang instructed Rolling Stone that being approached to play “Eruption” on the occasion “seemed like kind of a tone-deaf ask. It just didn’t feel right,” he stated. “And I think some people are, like, ‘Well, you should have just fucking done it anyway.’ And I don’t think they were really thinking about the emotional attachment to it. And just the fact that it isn’t the right thing to do and something I’m not comfortable with.

“I’ll always be here to champion my father and to further his legacy to the ends of the earth,” he continued. “I’m a little biased, but I think you cannot argue the impact that three guitar players had on the history of the instrument. And that’s Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, and my dad. And so when something like this happens, you think he would be deserving of a bit more time.”

Three months in the past, Grammy govt producer Ben Winston defended The Recording Academy for the way in which it acknowledged Eddie Van Halen at this 12 months’s Grammy Awards. He confirmed to Variety that Wolfgang was requested to seem on this system and he defined the rationale Van Halen ended up not getting an extended tribute in the course of the occasion.

Ben stated: “We had a call with [a rep for] Wolfgang before the show, and I asked him if he’d be willing to come on and play. He felt he didn’t really want to do that, and I offered up eight or nine guitarists who maybe could. But instead, he felt like we should play a video of Eddie himself, because nobody could play like him, so that’s what we did.”

He continued: “I would have loved for it to be longer than it was, but Eddie was the only person in the whole ‘In Memoriam’ to play their own music, with no other faces being seen. I felt that was an appropriate tribute to him, but if Wolfgang didn’t, I’m sorry about that, of course.

“It’s such a horrific thing to lose a parent. We did the best that we felt we could.”

Wolfgang wasn’t the one one who felt The Recording Academy ought to have completed higher. SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk known as out how quick the memorial was in an Instagram put up and famous, “So in a more than three hour show this is all the #grammys could muster for an ICON?! I am beyond outraged and disgusted.”

Former VAN HALEN singer Gary Cherone, who took over when Sammy Hagar left the group (or was fired, relying on whom you ask) in 1996, was additionally upset by the tribute.

“Maybe an artist that reimagined how one plays an instrument, who continues to influence generations of musicians and, literally changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll deserves more than fifteen second at the Grammys,” Cherone wrote on Twitter.

The Recording Academy recurrently comes below fireplace for failing to incorporate musicians who died prior to now 12 months, largely as a result of time limitations of the printed. More than 800 names have been thought of for inclusion this 12 months, in keeping with Variety. On its website, The Recording Academy included all of these names on a extra complete checklist, noting that the televised “In Memoriam” section is supposed to solely spotlight among the artists who died this 12 months, not essentially all.

Eddie handed away in October on the age of 65.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone journal ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its checklist of the 100 biggest guitarists.

Photo by Bryan Beasley