Eddie Van Halen Dead... Wow.

 Throat cancer, 65. I didn't know he was sick.

Diver Down (1982) was popular with my junior high graduating class that year...  Pretty Woman/Dancing in the Street. Cover songs, but fresh to fresh ears... (hitting at number one and number three respectively on the weekly Billboard charts that year.  Year=end results.*)

And the next year -- Feb. 14, '83, his arguably most listened to piece of work, the 20-second guitar solo in "Beat It" dropped... (He did it for free, as a favor to producer Quincy Jones, while the rest of his Van Halen bandmates were out of town.)

RIP, and condolences to Valerie Bertinelli too,  always the mother of his son.

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Added:  I'm reminded that we lost Kenny earlier this yeart too:

Through the years
You've never let me down
You've turned my life around
The sweetest days I've found
I've found with you
Through the years
I've never been afraid
I've loved the life we've made
And I'm so glad I stayed
Right here with you
Through the years

I can't remember what I used to do
Who I trusted, who I listened to before
I swear you've taught me everything I know
Can't imagine needing someone so
But through the years, it seems to me
I need you more and more

Through the years
Through all the good and bad
I know how much we had
I've always been so glad to be with you
Through the years
It's better everyday
You've kissed my tears away
As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years...

 

~Share Your Love album. 

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But this, of course, was the album of the sleepovers and country that year, it seems...

"I took you to an in-ti-mate rest-au-rant... Then to a suggestive movie... There's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally..." Remember: AIDS hadn't really hit yet...