Alex Van Halen’s memoir, Brothers, his heartfelt homage to his late brother and bandmate, Eddie, was published in October. The Van Halen drummer chatted with a variety of media outlets while promoting the book.
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In an emotional new interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Alex shared details about Eddie’s illness and death, while also discussing how he’s still grieving his brother’s loss. He also talked about the guitarist’s struggles with substance abuse, and how he believed it contributed to Eddie’s death.
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Alex pointed out that Eddie died from a “massive stroke” he suffered after the cancer he’d battled for many years had spread to his brain. He also told Cooper that he and some other family members were with Ed when he died.
“We were in the room with him when he actually took his last breath,” Alex shared. “We just sat there. Everybody was in their own head space. All I know is that when he stopped breathing, I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t see anything. There were no bells. There were no angels. It was just, it stopped. And then the room was empty. … And then they pulled the plug, because he was on a ventilator, and that was it.”
He added, “A very uneventful ending to an eventful life. But you know what? He fought until the very end. … I want to think of [his] life in terms of that he never gave up.”
On Eddie’s Battle with Cancer Before His Death
Alex also talked about the medical treatment he received as he battled cancer, the extreme pain he experienced, and how the disease progressed.
“I took him to Switzerland to have some treatment by some unbelievable doctors, but he was in a lot of pain most of the time,” Alex shared. “Most people have no idea what kind of pain he was in. Physical, emotional, mental, you name it. Then, he started to lose the function of his extremities. Just, it all compounded. And every day it was … some other part [that wasn’t] functioning anymore.”
The drummer also pointed out that Eddie underwent “a Gamma Knife operation,” which cut out the cancer from his brain. Alex said the procedure was successful, but caused swelling in Ed’ brain.
Alex also admitted that as dire as his brother’s condition got, no one thought he was going to die, because Ed was extremely resilient.
“You know, he’d always bounce back,” Alex pointed out. “He had the most incredible DNA that I’ve ever seen in anybody. He could do more drugs than anybody and still wake up the next day and perform. I don’t think anybody really thought he was gonna die, so when he passed, it was really a shock.”
Alex on Grieving for His Brother
Alex also admitted to Cooper that he’s “grieving all the time” for his brother.
“I’m not running from it, because that doesn’t solve the problem,” he explained. “[A]t times [it] can be overwhelming, and the more I dwell on it, the more complicated it becomes. When I’m alone and I put on a piece of music and I hear him play, I just break down … uncontrollably. But knowing what I know about the human body, you just let it happen. Otherwise, it’ll happen in the line at the grocery store, and that wouldn’t look so good.”
Alex Is Angry with His Brother for Not Taking Care of Himself
Alex also admitted that he gets upset at his late brother, thinking Ed might not have died so young if he could’ve controlled his issues with substance abuse.
“Had he stopped, he … might still be here,” Alex maintained. “The emotional part of me just says, you know, ‘Ed, you’re not done yet. It’d be nice to have you hanging around. My kids don’t have an uncle anymore. Your son doesn’t have a father. I don’t have a brother.’”
He added, “Ed’s whole life was searching for something. I don’t know what it was. ’Cause musically, we could play anything. ‘Ed, come on. Maybe you could have been here a little longer.’ But then you realize, I have no control over that. And then maybe it’s not my place to tell him to be here longer. Maybe he knows intuitively that ‘this is it, I’m done, I’m leaving.’”
Eddie died in October 2020 at age 65.
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