Son was asked to play “Eruption”

Wolfgang Van Halen says he was asked to pay tribute to his late father, Eddie Van Halen, during last night’s 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, but he declined.

“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,” the younger Van Halen explains on social media.

He continues, “It was my understanding that there would be an ‘In Memoriam’ section where bits of songs were performed for legendary artists that had passed. I didn’t realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of 4 performances for others we had lost.

“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 [Recording A]cademy does seem a bit out of touch), but I think it’s possible 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.

“I’m not looking to start some kind of hate parade here, I just wanted to explain my side. I know Pop would probably just laugh it off and say ‘Ehh who gives a shit?’ 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.”

Many music fans have lashed out at the Recording Academy, who produces the GRAMMYs, for not having a more robust tribute for the late rock star, who passed away in October 2020 from cancer. In fact, many are also speaking out against the lack of representation rock has received in recent years by the organization.

TV and radio host Eddie Trunk, who’s an advocate for all things rock, calls the “tribute” a disgrace.

“We all know #Grammys don’t give a shit or have a clue about rock for decades. Since Tull over ⁦@Metallica. But this was EVH, a game changing once in a lifetime talent & influence. Ridiculous disgrace!!” he tweets.

Trunk is, of course, referring to the 1989 show when members voted to give Jethro Tull the GRAMMY for “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance” over Metallica, confusing everyone, including presenters Alice Cooper and Lita Ford. AC/DC, Jane’s Addiction, and Iggy Pop were also contenders for the award.

On his SiriusXM Volume 106 Trunk Nation show on Monday (March 15th), Trunk went on an expletive-filled 40 minute tirade about the Eddie Van Halen tribute, or lack thereof. He criticized the Recording Academy for overlooking rock for the better part of the past 30 years, calling the show a joke, and a “popularity contest.”