Why Eddie Van Halen gave away his arsenal of guitars
There is a lot that Eddie Van Halen did throughout his career that people can be thankful for. The way that he played the guitar was something that still, to this day, is tough to comprehend. Hearing the Eruption solo and believing it’s only one person playing is tough. But it turns out he was more than just a guitarist, and he didn’t mind parting with what made him a rockstar if it meant doing the right thing.
Many people need to be aware of how Eddie Van Halen shaped music. Some guitar bodies never had a second pick-up but now do, which was the result of how Eddie played. He made shredding using the tapping technique much more mainstream and even influenced how American companies manufactured amplifiers. He also had a charitable side, which often fell under the radar.
The guitarist cared more about his guitars than almost anything. He wasn’t a stranger to the occasional altercation if someone ever tried to take one from him, as Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit once found out. That being said, he was more than happy to give them away if it meant being able to help others.
Van Halen understood the importance of both inspiration and accessibility when it came to making music. His parents initially wanted him to become a classical pianist, but the guitarist gravitated towards rock music thanks to The Beatles and the Dave Clark Five. His brother Alex Van Halen bought a guitar, and Eddie bought drums, but they decided to switch instruments early into their learning. After that, the rest is history.
Following his successful music career, it’s hardly surprising that Eddie wanted the same for the next generation. That explains why, back in 2012, he donated 75 guitars from his collection to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation for them to be distributed to schools around the Los Angeles area.
“If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that’s a wonderful thing,” said Van Halen, “music has provided a good life for me, and, hopefully, it can help make life better for others with this donation.”
The foundation’s executive director, Felice Mancini, was overwhelmed with the donation. “He came to our office with his lovely wife,” she said, “and took some pictures with the staff. He’s a lovely man and very shy. It was fun. Eddie’s wife was delightful; they were just so happy that this happened. Eddie did sincerely want to feel that he gave something back, and he did. It was win-win all the way around.”
Eddie Van Halen influenced not only music but the way music is made. However, to have him donate his guitars to ensure that other people can continue making music and the art form can continue to develop is easily the most rock ‘n’ roll thing he ever did.
