Alex Van Halen Says He Was “Supposed to Die” Before His Brother Eddie Van Halen

Alex Van Halen’s love letter to his brother and bandmate Eddie Van Halen who died of cancer in 2020, will be released soon. In the memoir, Brothers, Alex talks about his brother and the relationship they shared. As fans await the memoir’s release, Alex has given fans a snippet of what to expect.

He shared an exclusive four-and-a-half-minute audio excerpt titled Overture from the audiobook on Spotify. The excerpt, which was read by Alex himself, is a eulogy to honor his late brother.

Alex Van Halen said his plan was to die first

Alex confessed that four years after his brother’s death, he still found it hard to believe that his brother was gone. He also mentioned that the plan was for him to die first, “Outliving my little brother? This just wasn’t the plan. As the older brother, I was supposed to die first.”

Alex reminisced on his relationship with his late brother Eddie while explaining that music was more than just a passion to them. However, their connection extended beyond music, they were close in every aspect of their lives, family ties, finances, emotions, and even spirituality. “We fight, argue, we even argue about agreeing on things, but there is a bond and unconditional love that very few people ever experienced in a lifetime,” Alex mentioned.

Eddie Van Halen never liked the title “World Greatest Guitarist”

During his lifetime, Eddie was named the world’s greatest guitarist, but Alex said his brother never liked it as he claimed that being “the greatest would mean there are many more like you.” Eddie was always assertive about his career and accomplishments. He believed “there is only one Edward Van Halen.”

Eddie’s unique sound set him apart. “You could play just a single note, and it sounded different, distinct,” Alex recalled. Presently, Alex says he finds comfort in their music. The audiobook Brothers will feature the track “Unfinished,” the final song Alex and Eddie Van Halen collaborated on before Eddie died in 2020.