Eddie Van Halen’s son slams ‘out of touch’ Grammys for too-brief ‘in memoriam’ tribute

‘I didn’t realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of four full performances for others we had lost’

Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang “Wolf” Van Halen has spoken out against the way the 2021 Grammys ceremony chose to honor his late father in the show's “In Memoriam” segment.

“The Grammys asked me to play ‘Eruption’ for the ‘In Memoriam’ section and I declined,” Wolf began in a statement posted to Twitter.

"I don't think anyone could have lived up to what my father did for music but himself. It was my understanding that there would be an ‘In Memoriam’ section where bits of songs were performed for legendary artists that had passed. I didn't realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of four full performances for others we had lost," he continued.

“What hurt the most was that [Eddie Van Halen] wasn't even mentioned when they talked about artists we lost in the beginning of the show. I know rock isn't the most popular genre right now (and the Academy does seem a bit out of touch), but I think it's impossible to ignore the legacy my father left on the instrument, the world of rock, and music in general. There will never be another innovator like him.”

From there, Wolf pressed that he was not “looking to start some kind of hate parade” and only wished to express his point of view on the matter.

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“I'd love to get the opportunity to speak with The Recording Academy not only about the legacy of my father, but the legacy of the rock genre moving forward.”

The brief "In Memoriam" segment honoring the Van Halen guitarist, who died in October of last year, showed an archived clip of the performer wailing on a guitar while the camera panned to his famous Fender “Frankenstrat” guitar.

Other rock performers took issue with the brief tribute as well, with Extreme lead singer Gary Cherone writing on Twitter, “Maybe an artist that reimagined how one plays an instrument, who continues to influence generations of musicians and, literally changed the course of rock 'n' roll deserves more than fifteen seconds at the Grammys?”

The guitarist for Twisted Sister, Eddie Ojeda, also wrote on Twitter, “Very sad that EVH was not given a respectful TRIBUTE at the Grammys last night.”