© Bang Showbiz Eddie Van Halen The Van Halen frontman passed away on Tuesday (06.10.20) following a “long and arduous battle” with tongue cancer, his 29-year-old son Wolfgang Van Halen has confirmed, and now the world of music has paid tribute to the late musician. Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx described Van Halen as the "Mozart of rock guitar".