Wolfgang Van Halen performed his debut solo single ‘Distance’ in tribute to his late father Eddie Van Halen – scroll down the page to watch it now.
The track is set to appear on Wolfgang’s debut album, which will be released under the name Mammoth WVH.
- Read more: Eddie Van Halen, 1955 – 2020: a colossus who turned guitar solos into a firework display
During the performance, which took place on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night (February 11), how videos of the musician and his father played behind him. The footage showed the legendary guitarist holding his son as a baby, playing together at the beach when Wolfgang was a child and Wolfgang playing the drums.
For the performance, Van Halen was joined by bassist Ronni Ficarro, guitarists Jon Jourdan and Frank Sidoris and drummer Garret Whitlock. Watch it below now.
Wolfgang Van Halen played with the band Van Halen from 2007, replacing Michael Anthony as their bassist. He appeared on his first and only album with his father’s group with 2012’s ‘A Different Kind Of Truth’, but played with them until their disbandment last year.
‘Distance’ was released in November 2020 and Wolfgang used its release to also pay tribute to his dad. According to a press statement shared upon its release, the musician said he had written it about his father, “imagining what my life would be without him, and how terribly I’d miss him”.
He later shared Eddie’s reaction to the song in an interview, saying the legendary star had “cried when he heard it”. “I don’t think he was aware of the significance of it for me,” Wolfgang explained. “He just understood it as a song about loss.”
Eddie Van Halen died in October 2020 after a battle with cancer. He was 65 years old.
