Wolfgang Van Halen Finds ‘Closure’ for His Father’s Passing During Taylor Hawkins Tribute Performances

An Eddie Van Halen tribute show never happened after the late rocker passed in October of 2020—and the chances of one ever happening are reportedly slim—however, the guitarist’s son found solace in the recent Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts instead.

Performing a handful of Van Halen classics, including “Hot For Teacher” and “Panama,” at the double event in London and Los Angeles, the special moment to honor the late Foo Fighters drummer became a way for Wolfgang to honor his father, as well.

“I think I already did it with the Taylor Hawkins tributes. I feel a lot of closure because my part of the show was a tribute to my father,” the second-generation rock musician explained in an interview with Classic Rock.

Having performed as bassist for Van Halen from 2006 to 2020, Wolfgang has remarked when it comes to Van Halen, the band is “very dysfunctional.” That dysfunction has taken an actual tribute show for his late father off the table. “It’s unfortunate,” he stated. “Certainly compared to Foo Fighters, who have their shit together with interpersonal relationships.

“I don’t know what it is with some bands but certain personalities just can’t get over themselves to work collectively for one purpose,” he added. “That’s been the curse of Van Halen for its entire career.” He continued, “My playing at the Taylor shows delivered that catharsis without the stresses of dealing with the Van Halen camp, and the players involved.”

Sharing a heartfelt post on his Instagram, the musician wrote “Last night, I got to honor people I love, with people I love. Thank you for everything, Taylor. Love you, Pop”

Watch Wolfgang Van Halen perform the Van Halen thundering classic “Panama,” paying tribute to Taylor Hawkins and, in turn, his own father.

(Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images)