Eddie Van Halen's Son Wolf Says His Late Father Wanted Him to Carve Out His Own Career in Music

Eddie Van Halen was recognized as a legendary guitarist during his lifetime, and his death left a hole that many wanted Wolfgang to fill. However, the icon had different plans for his son.

Wolfgang Van Halen rose to fame as the only son of Eddie Van Halen, the late guitarist of the Van Halen band. His father's death left big shoes that many wanted the 29-year-old to fill, but he recently revealed what Eddie wished for his future.

On December 7, the icon's son responded to a fan's comment on Twitter about his disinterest in playing Van Halen covers in the future. The fan implored the guitarist to change his mind and honor his father's memory.

This comment prompted a series of responses from the 29-year-old in which he stated that there were various ways to honor his father. The musician indicated he wasn't a "jukebox" and told fans to listen to his father's songs on Spotify.

Back in November, in honor of Eddie's memory, Wolfgang released his first solo single, "Distance."

Wolfgang ended his retort by disclosing Eddie's wish for his career, which wasn't to live in the shadow of his father's past but to carve a separate future. In his words:

"There's not a better way to honor him than to carve my own path and move forward on my own merits."

His post received the support of fans, who wished for the guitarist to forge a different path. One fan pointed out that the Van Halen band's other founding members like David Lee Roth could perform VH covers.

Some fans indicated that they wanted Eddie's songs to live on while others expressed their desire to hear Wolfgang's songs. The icon's son once said that if he would ever play his father's songs, they would be different.

The legendary guitarist died at 65 after a long battle with cancer. His son confirmed his death with a heartfelt post on Instagram, where he expressed his sadness over his father's death and described him as the best.

The icon also received tributes from his band members and friends, such as Gene Simmons from Kiss, the guitarist Brian May, and Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler, who described Van Halen as a "true genius."

In honor of Eddie's memory in November, Wolfgang released his first solo single, "Distance," and fans highly received the song. The single was released under the 29-year-old's band Mammoth WVH.

The artist told sources that his curiosity about the possibility of playing all instruments by himself led him to create a one-person band. He also chose the name "Mammoth" because it's his father's band's former name.