Alex Van Halen has addressed his younger brother Eddie Van Halen's passing publicly for the first time with a short message.
"Hey, Ed. Love you," Alex's message read, as reported by Van Halen News Desk. "See you on the other side. Your brother, Al."
The Van Halen drummer and co-founder was reportedly among those at Eddie's side when he died on Tuesday, October 6, after a years-long battle with throat cancer.
Growing up in a musical household, Eddie and Alex began playing music together as children and would seldom in their lives take the stage without one another.
Alex, who is two years Eddie's senior, began playing the guitar first while Eddie picked up the drums. The pair eventually switched instruments and went on to form Van Halen in 1974 with singer David Lee Roth.
Alex became one of the most influential drummers of his era and Eddie's transcendent guitar playing redefined the instrument from 1978 and beyond.
News of Eddie's passing prompted hundreds of thousands of tributes from fans around the world, including many fellow music legends who consider Eddie one of the most influential musicians in history.
The sad news was first reported by TMZ and then confirmed by Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, who joined his father and uncle's band on bass as a teenager in 2006.
"I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning," Wolfgang wrote in a social media post.
"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."
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