Eddie Van Halen was mentioned during the “In Memoriam” segment at Sunday’s Grammys, though many rock fans felt that the ceremony didn’t properly honor the late guitar legend. As Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen explains, there was talk of adding more to the tribute.

In a tweet posted Monday evening, Wolf shares that the Grammys asked him to perform his father’s iconic “Eruption” solo during the “In Memoriam” segment, but he “declined” the offer.

“I don’t think anyone could have lived up to what my father did for music but himself,” Wolf writes.

However, Wolf says that the brief inclusion of his father, which simply consisted of an archival clip of Eddie playing a solo and a spotlight shone on his signature “Frankenstrat” guitar, wasn’t what he expected.

“It was my understanding that there would be an ‘In Memoriam” section where bits of songs were performed for legendary artists that had passed,” Wolf shares. “I didn’t realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of [four] full performances for others we had lost.”

Wolf also says that he was “hurt” that Eddie wasn’t mentioned when the Grammys “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),” he writes. “But I think it’s impossible to ignore the legacy my father left on [guitar], the world of rock, and music in general. There will never be another innovator like him.”

Wolf adds that he doesn’t want to “start some kind of hate parade,” and offers to speak with the Recording Academy “not only about the legacy of my father, but the legacy of the rock genre moving forward.”

By Josh Johnson
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