In a recent interview, Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson shared a touching story about her friendship with the late Eddie Van Halen, revealing how she gifted him an acoustic guitar—one that led to a heartfelt musical moment between the two rock legends.
Back in the 1980s, when Heart was opening for Van Halen, Eddie complimented Wilson on her acoustic playing. She responded by asking about his own acoustic guitar, to which he admitted:
“I don’t really have an acoustic.”
Moved by his response, Wilson decided to gift him an Ovation acoustic guitar. What happened next became an unforgettable memory:
“He stayed up all night playing that guitar, and the next morning, he called me on the hotel phone and played me this beautiful piece he had written. It was so pretty.”
Years later, Wilson paid tribute to Eddie with an instrumental track titled “4 Edward”, featured on her solo album You and Me. The piece was inspired by the melody Eddie played for her that morning, immortalizing their musical connection.
As for the gifted guitar, Wilson hopes it remains with Eddie’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, alongside his father’s legendary collection.
“Wolfie, I hope you have it,” she said. “I’m sure he has all of his dad’s guitars.”
You can listen to the entire interview below.
