Alex Van Halen Shares Tribute To Eddie Van Halen From New ‘Brothers’ Memoir
A tribute to late guitar legend Eddie Van Halen made by his brother Alex, has been released on Spotify in the US. The tribute also features is the audiobook version of Alex’s new memoir, Brothers, in honour of the celebrated guitarist who passed away on 6 October 2020 at the age of 65 following a long battle with cancer.
Brothers will be available in the US and Canada on October 22, with books hitting stores in the UK and Australia/ New Zealand on October 24 and October 30, respectively.
Buy Van Halen vinyl and CDs at the Dig! store.
According to a synopsis on Van Halen’s official website, Brothers will present an “intimate and open account—nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read”, as “Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.”
It’s also described as “seventy-year-old drummer Alex Van Halen’s love letter to his younger brother, Edward, (Maybe “Ed,” but never “Eddie”), written while still mourning his untimely death”.
The audiobook version of Brothers will also feature the last song Alex and Eddie ever composed together, titled Unfinished – a sample of the track can heard via the website.
Narrated in his own voice, Alex Van Halen offers a beautiful and incredibly emotional tribute to his late brother, recounting his favourite memories as well as sharing feelings relating to his grief.
The four-and-a-half-minute audio excerpt, titled Overture, is now available to hear on Spotify (US only). At the beginning, Alex says: “Without my brother I would not be. We fight, argue, we even argue about agreeing on things, but there is a bond and unconditional love that very few people ever experienced in a lifetime.
“Music was our heart and soul. That’s what we did. That’s what we loved. That’s what we enjoyed. And that’s what we were good at. It was also the thing that made us as close as two brothers can be. We were connected in every way — genetically, artistically, financially, emotionally, and though neither of us stuck with Catholicism, I’m going to go ahead and say spiritually. It’s very difficult to unwind that.
“It’s been almost four years since you passed, Ed, but sometimes it feels like it just happened this morning.”
Buy Van Halen vinyl and CDs at the Dig! store.