I've been listening to Sirius XM Deep Tracks channel all day. All Van Halen, all the time. This loss is a big one. Van Halen was my absolute favorite band (always will be) and something about Eddie Van Halen...with that happy mischievous smile and the sound of just one guitar lick- all I needed to brighten my mood. So many parts of my life involved this band and their music.
I guess it all started with One Day at a Time. I loved that show, and I loved Valerie Bertinelli. I don't know why, I just did, as did everyone else- America's girl next door. As she became more well known, people started telling me I looked just like her. Best compliment I've ever gotten, and I heard this throughout my adolescence, high school, and later. Even my hair stylist gave me her haircut after he (so he said) cut her hair once when she was in DC. Strangers on the street would stop me to tell me I looked like that girl on the tv. My high school track coach did not know my name, he just called me Valerie.
In a totally separate part of my life, I went to overnight camp for 5 years in CT, and during a particular 3 day camping trip, Diver Down was played on repeat. My friend and I belted out Happy Trails every time we got on the bus or went on a hike. The best! I was 13. I loved this band!!! Stacy?
I had started to pay more attention to earlier Van Halen songs being played in the radio and every song just killed! MTV was new. I loved watching Eddie and David Lee Roth, they were so fun!!! That band just made me happy.
Fast Forward a year...my two favorite people in the world (whom I did not know personally) by some miracle, met, fell in love, and got married! How perfect!!!
Around that time I also made some new friends- a group of boys- who also loved Van Halen. Jeff played the guitar and always tried to sound like Eddie. They all agreed I looked so much like Valerie, although Lyle said I looked more like Eddie when I smiled. He always said "Gimme that Eddie smile!" That always made me feel so good!
Surprisingly, then, I never actually got to see Van Halen live. I almost did. The boys had a ticket for me. And then, while I was on vacation with my parents, and before I had paid for my ticket, the "smile" boy sold it to another guy who offered him extra money and, the worst part- I later learned that the guy got so drunk he passed out and missed the whole show! How many years has it been??? I will never get over that. I forgave my friend, but I'll never get over it.
So now I am still listening, because this man's guitar sounds always make me smile. Rest in Peace, EVH
