Julian Lennon Remembers One of His ‘All-Time Favorite Musical Heroes’ Eddie Van Halen

Julian Lennon honored one of his “all time favorite musical heroes,” Eddie Van Halen, after the guitarist died Tuesday, October 6th, following a battle with cancer.

In a post on Facebook, Lennon recalled meeting Van Halen at a concert backstage where they “hugged like long-lost brothers.” As Lennon recalled, the pair spent the rest of the night “in the dressing room shower (fully clothed, I might add!) drinking Jack Daniels, straight from the bottle, and talked about music and what the future might hold.”

Their paths would cross again in a particularly unique way years later, Lennon added: “I used to live above Eddie, in Los Angeles, on Coldwater and Mulholland, where I used to hit golf balls onto the roof of his house, for shits and giggles.”

Lennon closed his note by saying: “I had always hoped to rekindle that friendship, sadly that will never happen now, but he will certainly live on, in the legacy of the music he left behind… R.I.P. Eddie… My heart goes out to his family and friends.”

Van Halen’s death has already elicited an outpouring of grief, condolences, and memories from the musicians peers and admirers, including Joe Walsh, Gene Simmons, Foreigner’s Mick Jones, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tom Morello.