Eddie Van Halen’s Dying Wish Related To Michael Anthony

Though there are many notable names in the history of rock music, there is no other like Van Halen. The band became a legend with their successful albums, energetic live performances, and of course, their lead guitar player Eddie Van Halen. For decades, the guitarist came up with timeless guitar solos that mesmerized his fans on and off stage.

Unfortunately, the guitar player almost everybody admired and loved passed away a few years ago, and many of his colleagues, friends, and family members paid tribute to him after his death. One of those musicians was Extreme’s guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who revealed the truth about Eddie Van Halen’s last wish before passing away related to his band and one of his former bandmates, Michael Anthony.

When Did Eddie Van Halen Pass Away?

Eddie Van Halen had been struggling with cancer before his passing. His first diagnosis was in 2000 when he began receiving treatment for tongue cancer. For the next two years, the musician fought cancer and lost roughly a third of his tongue during a procedure. He was eventually declared cancer-free in 2002.

In 2019, fans discovered that Van Halen had been battling throat cancer for five years. Unfortunately, the guitar legend passed away due to a stroke on October 6, 2020, at 65. The musician had his wife Hanie, his son Wolfgang, former wife Valerie Bertinelli, and brother Alex beside him.

Eddie Van Halen Had A Final Dream About Van Halen

Since Eddie Van Halen was one of the greatest guitar players in rock history, his fellow musicians, family members, and fans from all over the globe shared farewell messages for the late rocker. One of those people was Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who paid tribute to Van Halen via a post on his official Instagram account. Apart from expressing what an important icon Eddie was, Bettencourt unveiled his last wish before passing away.

According to Nuno Bettencourt, Eddie Van Halen expressed his excitement about talking to former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. The guitar player was planning to gather the original lineup of Van Halen because he wanted to end the band’s journey the way it started. At that time, the band had his son Wolfgang Van Halen as their bass player, and the only missing original member was Anthony.

In his IG post, Bettencourt penned:

“He said he was super excited about reaching out to Michael Anthony to finally put the original VH lineup back together. Saying that he wanted to do one final tour and have Van Halen go out the way they came, together, guns blazing!”

Though Eddie Van Halen’s last wish was to get Michael Anthony back, it didn’t happen. Van Halen continued playing with Wolfgang on bass, David Lee Roth on vocals, Alex Van Halen on drums, and Eddie on lead guitar until its last day. Eventually, as his son and former bassist Wolfgang revealed, the band’s career ended with his father’s passing.