Wolfgang Van Halen Honors Dad Eddie Van Halen With ‘Distance,’ Debut Solo Song and Video

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In a video filled with poignant home movie clips, Wolfgang Van Halen honors his dad with a song called “Distance.” It’s a tribute written while Eddie Van Halen was battling cancer, “imagining what my life would be without him and how terribly I’d miss him,” as Wolfgang explained in a statement.

Eddie Van Halen died Oct. 6 after a long battle with cancer, and tributes to the beloved guitar hero were immediate, effusive and ongoing.

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It’s the first solo song from Wolfgang, who has played bass with Van Halen since 2007. It features the impassioned chorus, “No matter what the distance is, I will be with you.”

Wolfgang plays all instruments and sings lead on the track, released under the band name Mammoth WVH. (“Mammoth” is a reference to one of his dad’s pre-Van Halen bands.)

The un-Van Halen-like song, a strong modern rock tune, ends with a heart-wrenching voicemail from the senior Van Halen, saying, in part, “I’m so happy to have you as my son. I’m so proud of you. I love you so much. Call me if you get a chance. I just want to hear your voice. OK? I love you. [Kiss noise].”

Watch the video below.

In Wolfgang’s full statement on “Distance,” he adds, “While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life. I never intended ‘Distance’ to be the very first piece of music people would hear from me, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release. This is for him. I love and miss you, Pop.”

Proceeds from “Distance” will be donated to Eddie Van Halen’s favorite charity, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.

The song is the first single from Wolfgang’s long-in-the-works solo album, which will be out in 2021 under the Mammoth WVH moniker, and released via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time, click here.