Eddie Van Halen at the 2021 Grammy Awards, which took place last Sunday, the 14th, disappointed many people, including the guitarist's son.
Wolfgang Van Halen took to social media to vent about what happened, and to explain why he didn't participate in any kind of performance for his father during the awards ceremony. "The Grammys asked me to play 'Eruption' in the In Memoriam and I refused. I don't think anyone could be true to what my father did for music other than himself," he said.
However, Wolfgang didn't expect that with his refusal, the Grammys would do nothing for his father other than put the guitarist's photo in the In Memoriam section. "I hadn't realized they would only show 15 seconds in the middle of 4 other performances for others we lost."
“What hurt me the most is that he wasn’t even mentioned when they talked about the artists we lost at the beginning of the show. I know rock isn’t the most popular genre right now (and that the Academy seems a bit out of touch with reality), but I think it’s impossible to ignore the legacy my father left on the instrument, in the world of rock, and in music in general. There will never be anyone as innovative as him,” Wolfgang wrote in his post.
The musician also said he didn't want to start a "hate parade," adding what he thinks his father would have said about it: "I know my father would probably laugh and say, 'Who gives a damn?' He lived only for the music. The rest didn't matter," he said. And he concluded: "I would love to have an opportunity to speak to the Academy not only about my father's legacy, but about the legacy of the rock genre as we move forward."
Eddie passed away last October due to throat cancer.
