Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen’s younger brother, is opening up about his late brother’s struggle with pill addiction.
In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone published on Tuesday, October 15, the Van Halen drummer, 71, shared that the pain of loss is still “more than fresh” four years after Eddie’s passing in 2020.
The co-founder of the iconic rock band died on October 6, 2020, after a long battle with cancer, as confirmed by his son Wolf, now 33, on Twitter. Eddie was 65 at the time of his death.
Before he died, Eddie reportedly developed an addiction to prescribed steroid pills intended to reduce swelling following a surgery to remove a brain tumor. According to Alex, Eddie would exceed his prescribed dosage because the pills made him “feel like Superman.”
“I didn’t see the bottle, but it had about a thousand pills in it,” Alex added. “Our mantra was, ‘If two is good, then 20 is better.’”
This was Alex’s first interview with Rolling Stone since Eddie’s passing.
“He fought until the very end,” Alex shared with the outlet. “Anyone who thinks otherwise can just… well, you know what I mean. If you understood what he endured to fight the cancer—he refused traditional treatment. Some of the unconventional methods he tried led to a toxic mix in his body. And yes, Ed, you really shouldn’t drink while doing that!”
The drummer noted that his older brother continued to make music in Switzerland while undergoing experimental cancer treatments “right up to the very end,” even if the music he was creating “wasn’t very good.”
“But that wasn’t the point. That’s just who he was,” he explained.
Alex also revealed that Eddie’s death led him to “shut down,” experiencing what he described as “oceanic grief.”
“I was yelling and screaming. I felt completely overwhelmed,” he shared. “I just miss him. I miss our arguments. I deal with it every day. And I can’t bring him back. I can’t make things right.”
