MUMBAI: Legendary American guitarist Eddie Van Halens son Wolfgang Van Halen is not impressed by the Recording Academys tribute to the iconic guitarist in the ‘In Memoriam segment at the recent Grammy Awards.
“The Grammys asked me to play ‘Eruption’ for the ‘In Memoriam’ section and I declined. I don’t think anyone could have lived up to what my father did for music but himself. It was my understanding that there would be an ‘In Memoriam’ section where bits of songs were performed for legendary artists that had passed,” he shared on Instagram.
“I didn’t realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of 4 full performances for others we had lost,” he added.
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Wolfgang, who played the bass briefly for the band Van Halen, wrote he expected a more “meaningful” tribute from the Grammys towards his father, who died last year due to throat cancer.
“What hurt the most was that he wasn’t even mentioned when they talked about artists we lost in the beginning of the show. I know rock isn’t the most popular genre right now, (and the Academy does seem a bit out of touch) but I think it’s impossible to ignore the legacy my father left on the instrument, the world of rock, and music in general. There will never be another innovator like him,” he added.
He also made it clear that he just wanted to explain his side, and didn’t want to get into controversies.
“”I know Pop would probably just laugh it off and say ‘Ehh who gives a s**t? He was only about the music anyway. The rest didn’t matter. I’d love to get the opportunity to speak with The Recording Academy not only about the legacy of my father, but the legacy of the Rock genre moving forward. Thank you,” he signed off.
(Source: IANS)
