DETROIT – AUGUST 13: American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) plays his custom Frankenstrat guitar at Cobo Arena during Van Halen’s “Hide Your Sheep Tour” on August 13, 1982, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty).
Saturday night’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took time to pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who passed away last month from cancer. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave chimed in, saying, “The Mozart of our generation. He had the kind of talent that maybe comes around once a century.” Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash reflected on Van Halen‘s influence, saying, “His style and his sound were completely unique to him. He had a massive impact on guitar playing.”Along with paying tribute to Van Halen, the (virtual) ceremony also saw bands Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, T-Rex, and more get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Watch the tribute below: