Wolfgang Van Halen Opens Up About Losing Faith After His Father Eddie’s Death

Wolfgang Van Halen has revealed that the death of his father, guitar icon Eddie Van Halen, left him questioning his spirituality. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the singer and multi-instrumentalist of hard rock band Mammoth described the void left by Eddie’s passing as a “black hole” and admitted that losing the sense of connection he once felt challenged his beliefs.

“I was a spiritual person, but after I lost my dad, I became less so,” Wolfgang said. “Our connection was so special, I would probably be able to feel him if he weren’t here anymore, and I don’t.”

He added:

“It’s comforting to think about things like the afterlife, but when the worst happens and you lose someone close and you don’t feel that connection, it’s easy to lose grip on those feelings. It leaves a black hole in you.”

Remembering His Father

Eddie Van Halen passed away at 65 in October 2020, following a stroke. He had previously battled throat cancer for five years and had been hospitalized in 2019. Wolfgang, his mother, Valerie Bertinelli, and his wife, Janie, were all present during his final moments.

Wolfgang fondly recalled one of his last shared experiences with Eddie: a 2019 Tool concert. “The last concert I went to with my dad was in 2019,” he said. “I took him to a Tool show. It was really cool to see him get it. He turned to me and was like, ‘Dude, that fucking bass player!’ I remember showing him Gojira and Meshuggah, and the one thing he said was, ‘The drummer better be getting paid the most!’”

Carrying the Van Halen Legacy

Wolfgang joined Van Halen, alongside his father and uncle Alex, in 2006 at just 15. He toured and recorded with the band until their activity ceased in 2015. In 2021, he launched his solo project Mammoth, releasing a self-titled debut album. Their third album, The End, arrived last month.

Though Wolfgang occasionally performs Van Halen songs live, he has admitted it’s emotionally difficult. He performed “Hot For Teacher” and “On Fire” at a 2022 tribute concert for the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, but said messing up Van Halen material would have been devastating. “I don’t think I would have ever been able to live it down — with so many people saying, ‘You’ll never be good enough and you have to play Van Halen to be relevant’ — if I messed up, it would have ruined my life. I took it very seriously.”

Touring and Upcoming Shows

Mammoth is currently on a North American tour and will play the Agora Theater & Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio, tonight (November 18). The band is also scheduled to appear at the Download Festival in the UK next June.

The latest issue of Metal Hammer also features a special tribute to Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, marking ten years since the metal legend’s passing. Copies can be ordered online for home delivery.