Today we lost the great Eddie Van Halen. To quote my dear friend, "2020 is a fat @#$%@ %$&@$." Yeah, it's that bad. There is no doubt this year has been rough. On top of a pandemic and the nightmare that is the US political landscape, we have lost some of America's greatest treasures. Chadwick Boseman, Regis Philbin, Rep. John Lewis, a host of others, and now Eddie Van Halen.
Eddie Van Halen was one of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument. His influence on rock and roll can be heard in songs from every genre. I remember watching videos of the Van Halen song "Jump" on MTV when I was a kid. I was mesmerized by his signature guitar, "Frankenstrat". David Lee Roth's air splits were okay, but no one could make a guitar sing like Eddie. When "Van Hagar" came to town I was the one to buy the "Balance" CD. I loved it. I loved For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. I loved most of Van Halen's album's but checked out before Cherone checked-in as the lead singer.
We've been losing a lot of celebrities, musicians, activists, etc. in 2020. I know this is not something that will stop any time soon. It is 2020. A lot of these people have been around for a long time. Carl Reiner died and he was 98, RGB 87. Cancer is so common 40% of people will be diagnosed with some form in their lifetime. It's projected more than 600,000 people will die of it in 2020. This year alone, it has taken Boseman, Preston, and Eddie Van Halen. Not to mention the growing number of those dying of Covid-19. Death happens and it sucks. In a time when we need good news, we're faced with the sad news. It's been a bad year.
It's hard to imagine 2021 being much better. Our widespread social communication platforms have produced more public figures than anyone could've imagined. People aren't going to stop dying next year. It's part of life in this era. More people means more deaths. Countless media platforms mean everyone will know when it happens. The best we can do is love each other and proclaim that love as often as possible. It might be a little weird to say it aloud, but it's better than leaving it unsaid.