Jason Becker has shared previously unseen footage of the day he spent with his friend – and fellow David Lee Roth collaborator – Eddie Van Halen back in 1996.
At the time, Becker had recently been diagnosed with ALS – or Lou Gehrig's disease – and Van Halen paid him a visit to offer his love and support – as well as a guitar – and film an ALS awareness promotional video.
During the visit, Van Halen told stories, talked about his creative process and played music, sounding exactly like EVH even when playing Becker's guitar through a small practice amp.
The footage illustrates how, aside from his uniquely dazzling guitar abilities and rock 'n' roll superstardom, Van Halen was a generous and caring human being.
It also shows the inspiring resilience of Becker, whose guitar career had been cut short by his debilitating disease, but still wielded the courage to fight it.
“Eddie was such a beautiful person,” Becker recalls. “He was incredibly kind to me and my family. Not only was he my biggest influence, he had such a huge heart. He honestly saved my life.”
Eddie Van Halen tragically passed away this year at the age of 65, prompting widespread mourning from the entire guitar community.
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