Country musician Keith Urban reacted to news of Eddie Van Halen’s death on Tuesday with an Instagram tribute to the guitar legend and his massive influence on players of all stripes.
“This hit me hard. There are lots of great guitar players in the world, but very VERY few true innovators,” Urban wrote. “Players who seem to have arrived from a far distant planet, and who bring a completely new color to the rainbow. Eddie Van Halen was this and so much more. Even without the finger-tapping, you had a player with extraordinary touch, tone, and a rhythmic pocket and bounce that floated like Ali in the ring. He was a master of complex solos that spoke to non-musicians…THAT IS HARD TO DO. The reason was the exquisite melody in his heart and the joy in his soul of playing FOR people — and it came through like a ray of sun we ALL felt.”
“From players like me, all over the world who never got to meet him, I say THANK YOU EDDIE,” he continued. “WE LOVE YOU !!!!!!!”
Van Halen died at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer. The guitarist’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, shared the news on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.