RIP Eddie Van Halen: David Lee Roth, Valerie Bertinelli and More Remember Renowned Guitarist

As fans come to terms with the sad news that guitar icon Eddie Van Halen lost his long battle with cancer, an outpouring of remembrances, wishes to his family and statements of love from fellow musicians have flooded social media.

The responses came from fellow survivors of the notoriously decadent 1980s rock scene, like Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, who tweeted, "Crushed. So f**king crushed. RIP Eddie Van Halen. You changed our world. You were the Mozart of rock guitar. Travel safe rockstar."

Fellow rock bass god Gene Simmons wrote, "My heart is broken. Eddie was not only a Guitar God, but a genuinely beautiful soul. Rest in peace, Eddie!"

Billy Idol offered a simple, "Rest in peace guitar legend Eddie Van Halen. We will miss you."

A slew of other musicians also acknowledged the passing of the music great. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers tweeted, "Oh man, bless his beautiful creative heart. I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi tonight. Break through to the other side my brother."

Lenny Kravitz shared, "Legendary guitar and musical innovator Edward Van Halen. 1955-2020. Heaven will be electric tonight."

Even famous music fans from outside Eddie's genre bemoaned his passing, like country star Kenny Chesney, who wrote, "I am devastated at the news of the passing of my friend Eddie Van Halen."

Van Halen the band, and Eddie in particular as the driving creative force and guitar wizard extraordinaire, will forever be associated with the hard-partying, carefree scene of '80s hard rock. But the band and Eddie's impact transcend such categorizations. This fact was represented in comments from Geezer Butler, the bassist of pioneering metal band Black Sabbath. He wrote, "Just when I thought 2020 couldn't get any worse, I hear Eddie Van Halen has passed. So shocking- One of the nicest, down to Earth men I have ever met and toured with. A true gent and true genius. RIP. So sad. Thoughts go out to his brother Alex, and his family."

Beach Boy maestro Brian Wilson also chimed in, "I just heard about Eddie Van Halen and I feel terrible about it. Eddie was such a great guitarist and I remember how big Van Halen was, especially here in L.A. Love and Mercy to Eddie's family & friends."

Sammy Hagar, the singer who at one point replaced original Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth, had a sometimes tumultuous relationship with Eddie, though he's always quick to express his love of the man and admiration for his gifts. His message on Twitter was simple but poignant: "Heartbroken and speechless. My love to the family."

David Lee Roth, the original and last vocalist for Van Halen on their final album and tour, also shared a pic of the two together and the simple caption: "What a Long Great Trip It's Been.."

The most poignant and heartbreaking message, though, could well have come courtesy of Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie's ex-wife and mother of Wolfgang. She revealed that she and Wolfgang were with him when he passed away. Her message should be read in full. It closes this story.