Eddie Van Halen's ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli shares his final words

6 January 2022, 17:26

The Van Halen legend sadly passed away in October 2020 at 65 years old.

Eddie Van Halen's former wife Valerie Bertinelli has spoken about the final moments she spent with the late icon.

The Van Halen rocker sadly died from throat cancer on 6 October 2020 at 65 years old.

Now, the US actor Bertinelli - who was married to the guitarist for 20 years until they divorced in 2007 - has released a new memoir where she looked back on their relationship and shared their last moments together.

As reported by PEOPLE, Bertinelli writes in her book Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today about how she and their son Wolfgang were at his bedside in hospital, along with his second wife, Janie Liszewski, and his brother, Alex Van Halen.

"'I love you' are the last words Ed says to Wolfie and me," she writes in the tome, "and they are the last words we say to him before he stops breathing."

READ MORE: Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang shares tribute one year on from icon's death

Eddie Van Halen was the guitarist and chief songwriter of Van Halen, which he co-founded in 1972 with his drummer brother Alex Van Halen, bassist Mark Stone and singer David Lee Roth.

Tributes poured out for the Jump frontman from all parts of the entertainment world after his passing.

In October 2021, his son Wolfgang paid tribute to the icon one year on from his death.

Taking to Twitter the musician began: "One year.

"You fought so hard for so long, but you were still taken away. It's so unfair."

He added: "I'm trying to do my best here without you, but it's really f***ing hard. I hope you're still proud."

The post, which also included an image of the pair laughing together, concluded: "I love you with all my heart Pop. Watch over me."

Earlier that year, the rocker was honoured briefly in the GRAMMYs In Memoriam segment, but it left many fans wondering why a longer tribute wasn't made for the icon.

His son also clarified the reasons for a lack of performance, but also shared his disappointment that his father was honoured for "15 seconds".

"The GRAMMYS asked me to play Eruption for the 'In Memoriam' section and I declined. I don't think anyone could have lived up to what my father did for music but himself."

He continued: "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 realise that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of 4 full performances for others we had lost."

The musician added: "What hurt the most was that he 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."

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READ MORE: Why wasn't there an Eddie Van Halen tribute performance at the 2021 GRAMMYs?