Credit: Travis ShinnWolfgang Van Halen has released his debut solo single in honor of his late father, the legendary Eddie Van Halen.
The track is called “Distance,” and finds the younger Van Halen declaring, “No matter what the distance is, I will be with you.” You can download it now via digital outlets. It’s also accompanied by a video, featuring emotional home video footage of the father and son, which is streaming now on YouTube.
Wolfgang, who joined his dad in Van Halen on bass in 2006, recorded “Distance” for his solo project, Mammoth WVH. According to a press release, he’d planned to release his first songs with the band earlier than now but the return of his father’s cancer put that on hold. While spending time with Eddie in his final days, Wolfgang continued to write new music.
Eddie succumbed to the cancer on October 6 at age 65.
“As my pop continued to struggle with various health issues, I was imagining what my life would be like without him and how terribly I’d miss him,” Wolfgang says. “While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life.”
He adds, “I never intended ‘Distance’ to be the very first piece of music people would hear from me, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release. This is for him. I love and miss you, Pop.”
Proceeds from “Distance” will be donated to Eddie’s favorite charity, the youth music education organization Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
The debut Mammoth WVH album is due out in 2021.
By Josh Johnson
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