Jack White Honors Eddie Van Halen During SNL Performance: He Was 'Very Kind to Me'

Eddie Van Halen Dies at 65 After 'Arduous' Battle with Throat Cancer

A source close to Van Halen told PEOPLE that the guitar hero had a rapid decline in health over the past three days

Jack White is paying tribute to one of the best guitarists in music.

During his gig as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the singer, 45, honored Eddie Van Halen with a special guitar that was placed in the background during his first performance, which included a remix of The White Stripes song "Ball and Biscuit" as well as his Beyoncé collaboration, “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” off her Lemonade album. (The guitar also was front and center in White's SNL promo shoot.)

Hours before, White, who replaced country star Morgan Wallen last minute, shared a closer look at the guitar on Instagram.

"I thought it could be a nice gesture for me to use this blue Eddie Van Halen model guitar for one of the songs tonight on SNL. The guitar was designed by Eddie (with a few customizations I had added)," White explained, sharing photos from the making of the instrument.

"Eddie was very kind to me and saw to it that this guitar was made for me to my specs. I won't even insult the man's talent by trying to play one of his songs tonight," White shared, adding, "Thanks again Eddie for this guitar and rest in peace sir."

For his second performance of the night, White played an epic guitar solo with the custom instrument designed by the late rocker.

Van Halen died on Tuesday after battling cancer for years. He was 65.

His son Wolf, whose mother is Valerie Bertinelli, shared the sad news on social media. Van Halen's wife Janie Liszewski, ex Bertinelli and son Wolf were at the hospital with the rocker when he died.

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"I can't believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning," he wrote. "He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift."

Wolf, 29, added, "My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."

Following his father's death, Wolf, who joined Van Halen as the band's bassist in 2006, has been sharing black-and-white throwback photos of the late musician. Hours before White's SNL performance, Wolf posted an image of the father-son pair on a couch together.

The band Van Halen was formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Through the years, the late rock and roll legend and his brother Alex, 67 — alongside a rotation of other bandmates including David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony — released 12 studio albums.

The group's final album, A Different Kind of Truth, dropped in 2012.

Before his battle with throat cancer, Van Halen had a bout with tongue cancer in 2000. He defeated the illness in 2002.