Rocker Eddie Van Halen has been quiet on social media for the past fews weeks as the Van Halen guitarist deals with his throat cancer. He broke that silence on Thursday to offer praise to his son, Wolfgang Van Halen, for a huge musical accomplishment — signing a record deal with Explorer1 Music Group for a solo album.
“So proud of @wolfvanhalen for singing a record deal!,” Val Halen wrote on Instagram. “Can’t wait for the rest of the world to hear what I’ve been listening to!! It’s gonna blow some minds!! Love you, Wolf!!”
Wolfgang, who also plays bass in Van Halen when the band tours, was quick to reply to the post: “Thanks Pop!! Love you!!”
This is the first time Van Halen has posted to social media since his 65th birthday a month ago. Fans were delighted to see an update from the rocker, and stoked to see the amazing news about his son.
Eddie Van Halen’s Cancer Journey
Van Halen’s current cancer battle is not his first, the rocker was diagnosed with tongue cancer back in 2000. He had part of his tongue removed as part of treatment and was declared cancer-free in 2002. However, in the years since, Van Halen was again diagnosed — this time with throat cancer.
TMZ reported in October 2019 that Van Halen has been receiving radiation treatments for the cancer in Germany quietly for the past five years. The rocker also apparently suspects that a metal guitar picks that he used to hold in his mouth as he performed could have been the source of his cancer. However, SurvivorNet looked into these claims and found that metal picks — copper and brass — are not listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or any other organization as possible carcinogens, meaning there’s no evidence they cause cancer.
Eddie Van Halen said in a previous interview that he has been smoking and drinking since he was 12 years old. Both are linked to oral and throat cancers.
Van Halen has also been a smoker and a drinker since he was 12 years old, he disclosed in an interview with Billboard, and smoking and drinking both significantly increase a person’s risk of developing oral cancers and throat cancer.
Van Halen himself hasn’t provided many health updates over the past few months. However, his Van Halen bandmate, longtime frontman David Lee Roth, shared that he wasn’t doing well in early 2020.
"Ed's not doing well, and singing and dancing is a perishable skill," Roth told the Las Vegas-Review Journal when discussing whether Van Halen would be touring together again anytime soon. "If you have the capacity, it's something that has to be used routinely, if not for the thrill of it and the magic of creating with other incandescent spirits."
