NATION
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen dies
By Mark Kennedy
AP Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK — Eddie Van Halen,
the guitar virtuoso whose blind-
ing speed, control and innovation
propelled his band Van Halen into
one of hard rock’s biggest groups and
became elevated to the status of rock
god, has died. He was 65.
A person close to Van Halen’s fam-
ily confi rmed the rocker died Tuesday
due to cancer. The person was not
authorized to publicly release details
in advance of an offi cial announce-
ment.
“He was the best father I could
ask for,” Van Halen’s son Wolfgang
wrote in a social media post. “Every
moment I’ve shared with him on and
off stage was a gift.”
With his distinct solos, Eddie Van
Halen fueled the ultimate California
party band and helped knock disco
off the charts starting in the late
1970s with his band’s self-titled debut
album and then with the blockbuster
record “1984,” which contains the
classics “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot
for Teacher.”
Van Halen is among the top 20
best-selling artists of all time, and the
band was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Rolling
Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen
at No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest
guitarists.
Eddie Van Halen was something
Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times-TNS, Fiile
Rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen
died Tuesday at age 65.
of a musical contradiction. He was
an autodidact who could play almost
any instrument, but he couldn’t read
music. He was a classically trained
pianist who also created some of the
most distinctive guitar riffs in rock
history. He was a Dutch immigrant
who was considered one of the
greatest American guitarists of his
generation.
Honors came from the music
world, from Lenny Kravitz to Kenny
Chesney. “You changed our world.
You were the Mozart of rock guitar.
Travel safe, rockstar,” Motley Crue’s
Nikki Sixx said on Twitter. Added
Lenny Kravitz: “Heaven will be elec-
tric tonight.”
The members of Van Halen — the
two Van Halen brothers, Eddie and
Alex; vocalist David Lee Roth; and
bassist Michael Anthony — formed
in 1974 in Pasadena, California. They
were members of rival high school
bands and then attended Pasadena
City College together. They combined
to form the band Mammoth, but then
changed to Van Halen after discover-
ing there was another band called
Mammoth.
Their 1978 release “Van Halen”
opened with a blistering “Runnin’
With the Devil” and then Eddie Van
Halen showed off his astonishing
skills in the next song, “Eruption,” a
furious 1:42 minute guitar solo that
swoops and soars like a deranged
bird. The album also contained a
cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got
Me” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love.”
Van Halen released albums on a
yearly timetable — “Van Halen II”
(1979), “Women and Children First”
(1980), “Fair Warning” (1981) and
“Diver Down” (1982) — until the
monumental “1984,” which hit No.
2 on the Billboard 200 album charts
(only behind Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller”). Rolling Stone ranked
“1984” No. 81 on its list of the 100
Greatest Albums of the 1980s.
“Eddie put the smile back in rock
guitar, at a time when it was all get-
ting a bit brooding. He also scared the
hell out of a million guitarists around
the world, because he was so damn
good. And original,” Joe Satriani, a
fellow virtuoso, told Billboard in 2015.
Van Halen also played guitar on
one of the biggest singles of the 1980s:
Jackson’s “Beat It.” His solo lasted all
of 20 seconds and took only a half an
hour to record. He did it as a favor to
producer Quincy Jones, while the rest
of his Van Halen bandmates were out
of town.
Van Halen received no compen-
sation or credit for the work, even
though he rearranged the section
he played on. “It was 20 minutes of
my life. I didn’t want anything for
doing that,” he told Billboard in 2015.
“I literally thought to myself, ‘Who
is possibly going to know if I play
on this kid’s record?’” Rolling Stone
ranked “Beat It” No. 344 on its list of
the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Jackson’s melding of hard rock and
R&B preceded the meeting of Run-
DMC and Aerosmith by four years.
But strains between Roth and the
band erupted after their 1984 world
tour and Roth left. The group then
recruited Sammy Hagar as lead
singer —some critics called the new
formulation “Van Hagar” — and the
band went on to score its fi rst No.
1 album with “5150,” More studio
albums followed, including “OU812,”
“For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”
and “Balance.” Hit singles included
“Why Can’t This Be Love” and “When
It’s Love.”
Eddie Van Halen was born in Am-
sterdam and his family immigrated
to California in 1962 when he was 7.
His father was a big band clarinetist
who rarely found work after coming
to the U.S., and their mother was a
maid who had dreams of her sons be-
ing classical pianists. The Van Halens
shared a house with three other fami-
lies. Eddie and Alex had only each
other, a tight relationship that fl owed
through their music.
“We showed up here with the
equivalent of $50 and a piano,” Eddie
Van Halen told The Associated Press
in 2015. “We came halfway around
the world without money, without a
set job, no place to live and couldn’t
even speak the language.”
He said his earliest memories of
music were banging pots and pans
together, marching to John Philip
Sousa marches. At one point, Ed-
die got a drum set, which his older
brother coveted.
“I never wanted to play guitar,” he
confessed at a talk at the Smithson-
ian’s National Museum of American
History in 2015. But his brother was
good at the drums, so Eddie gave
into his brother’s wishes: “I said, ‘Go
ahead, take my drums. I’ll play your
damn guitar.’”
NBA FINALS: GAME 4
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Lakers closing in on title
Seattle Storm
WNBA champs
■ Los Angeles can win franchise’s 17th NBA championship on Friday
By Tim Reynolds
AP Basketball Writer
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.
— LeBron James woke up
from his gameday nap Tues-
day and decided it was time to
send his Los Angeles Lakers
teammates a message.
He grabbed his phone and
told the Lakers they were fac-
ing a must-win game.
“I felt that vibe. I felt that
pressure,” James said. “I felt
like, for me personally, this
was one of the biggest games
of my career.”
Message delivered.
James and the Lakers are
back in control of these NBA
Finals, one win away from
the franchise’s 17th champi-
onship. James fi nished with
28 points, 12 rebounds and
eight assists, Anthony Davis’
3-pointer with 39.5 seconds
left fi nally settled matters and
the Lakers beat the Miami
Heat 102-96 in Game 4.
The Lakers lead 3-1 and
can win the title when the
series resumes Friday.
“Big-time play. Big-time
moment,” James said of Davis’
3-pointer. “Not only for A.D.,
but for our ballclub and for
our franchise.”
Davis fi nished with 22
points, Kentavious Caldwell-
Pope scored 15 and Danny
Green added 10 for the
Lakers, who didn’t trail at
any point in the fi nal 20-plus
minutes. The Lakers are now
56-0 this season when leading
going into the fourth quarter.
Jimmy Butler scored 22
points for Miami, which got
21 from Tyler Herro, 17 from
Duncan Robinson and 15
from Bam Adebayo — who
returned after missing two
games with a neck injury.
“I just loved seeing our
guys compete. I love how they
respond in between those
four lines,” Heat coach Erik
Spoelstra said. “This was a
throwback game and there
were some moments of truth
there at the end, and probably
the bottom line is they won
those moments of truth.”
He’s right. Whenever Mi-
ami had something going, the
Lakers snuffed it out.
James’ 3-pointer with
8:18 left in the third put the
Lakers up 55-54 and set the
Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times-TNS
Laker Anthony Davis gets a pass off in front of the Miami Heat’s Andre Iguodala.
tone for the way the rest of
the night was going to go; L.A.
leading, Miami chasing.
“Like I always say, they’re a
really, really, really good team
and we’ve got to play damn
near perfect to beat them,”
Butler said. “We didn’t do that
tonight. ... We’ll watch this,
learn from it, but we can’t lose
another one.”
The Lakers were up by
seven with 2:27 left in the
third after a 3-pointer by Da-
vis; Miami scored the next six
to get within one. Herro made
a 3 early in the fourth to get
Miami within one again; the
Heat promptly fouled Mar-
kieff Morris on a 3-point try,
and he made all three shots.
Butler scored inside to
tie the game with 6:27 left;
James scored the next fi ve
points himself, including a
three-point play where he
ended up fl at on his back after
spinning the ball perfectly off
the glass for a score on a drive
while taking contact.
“You have to credit our
guys’ competitive spirit,” Lak-
ers coach Frank Vogel said.
“They were fl ying around
and just competing at an
extremely high level that end
of the fl oor.”
A bounce here, a bounce
there. Those were the differ-
ences late, and the Lakers
made their own breaks.
Butler had a corner 3 that
would have given Miami the
lead rim out with 3:05 left;
Caldwell-Pope made a corner
3 at the other end seven
seconds later and the Lakers
were up 93-88. Miami then
turned the ball over on a shot-
clock violation; Caldwell-Pope
scored on a drive for a seven-
point lead.
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Breanna Stewart and
Sue Bird helped Seattle fi nish off a dominant season
with another championship.
The dynamic duo powered the Storm to their second
title in three seasons. They both missed last year with
injuries.
Stewart scored 26 points and Seattle completed a
sweep of the Las Vegas Aces with a 92-59 rout Tuesday
night. It was the biggest margin of victory in WNBA
Finals history.
“It doesn’t feel real we just won and that I was able
to contribute the way I did,” said Bird, who averaged
11 assists for the three fi nals games. “Something when
it’s all said and done that I’m incredibly proud of.”
It’s the fourth title in franchise history for the Storm,
who also won in 2004, 2010 and 2018. Seattle had pret-
ty much the same core group that won the 2018 cham-
pionship back for this year, led by Stewart, Bird and
Jewell Loyd. The Storm joined Minnesota and Houston
as the only franchises to win four championships.
Seattle has now won a record 11 games in a row
in the WNBA Finals, dating to the team’s fi rst cham-
pionship in 2004. Bird has been a part of all of them.
The veteran guard, who turns 40 next week, was once
again a catalyst for the Storm.
We Cancel TIMESHARES for You
Every year 150,000 people reach out to us for help getting rid of their timeshare.
In 2019, we relieved over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and maintenance fees.
We can help.
Get your free information kit and see if you qualify:
855-385-4473
LAWN CARE
NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING,
OR YOUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEED!
CALL US TODAY FOR
A FREE ESTIMATE
15
%
AND!
OFF
YOUR ENTIRE
PURCHASE *
1-855-536-8838
10
%
+
OFF
SENIOR & MILITARY
DISCOUNTS
Promo Number: 285
5 %
OFF
TO THE FIRST
50 CALLERS! **
Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST
)RUWKRVHZKRTXDOLI\2QHFRXSRQSHUKRXVHKROG1RREOLJDWLRQHVWLPDWHYDOLGIRU\HDU 2΍HUYDOLGDWHVWLPDWHRQO\CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501
License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 License# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946
License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration#
HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900
5HJLVWUDWLRQ3$6X΍RON+Ζ&/LFHQVH+
Save Now On Home Security
®
Monitored by ADT the #1
home security company in the U.S.
GREAT
LOW
PRICE
MONITORING
®
ADT 24/7 Monitored Home Security
24/7 monitoring provides peace of mind
Yard sign and window decals help deter crime
Quickly connect to fi re and emergency response
May qualify for a homeowners insurance discount
PER MONTH
1-855-384-7995
WE’RE AVAILABLE 24/7—CALL TODAY!
BASIC SYSTEM: $99 Parts and Install. 36-Month Monitoring Agreement required at $27.99 per month ($1,007.64). 24-Month Monitoring Agreement required at $27.99 per month ($671.76) for California. Offer applies to homeowners only. Basic
system requires landline phone. Offer valid for new ADT Authorized Premier Provider customers only and not on purchases from ADT LLC. Cannot be combined with any other offer. The $27.99 Offer does not include Quality Service Plan (QSP), ADT’s
Extended Limited Warranty. GENERAL: For all offers, the form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account, satisfactory credit history is required and termination fee applies. Certain packages require
approved landline phone. Local permit fees may be required. Certain restrictions may apply. Additional monitoring fees required for some services. For example, Burglary, Fire, Carbon Monoxide and Emergency Alert monitoring requires purchase
and/or activation of an ADT security system with monitored Burglary, Fire, Carbon Monoxide and Emergency Alert devices and are an additional charge. Additional equipment may be purchased for an additional charge. Additional charges may apply
in areas that require guard response service for municipal alarm verifi cation. Prices subject to change. Prices may vary by market. Some insurance companies offer discounts on Homeowner’s Insurance. Please consult your insurance company. Photos
are for illustrative purposes only and may not refl ect the exact product/service actually provided. Licenses: AL-21-001104, AR-CMPY.0001725 AZ-ROC217517, CA-ACO6320, CT-ELC.0193944-L5, DC-EMS902653, DC-602516000016, DE-07-212,
FL-EC13003427, EC13003401, GA-LVA205395, IA-AS-0206, ID-ELE-SJ-39131, IL-127.001042, IN-C.P.D. Reg. No. – 19-08088, City of Indianapolis: LAC-000156, KY-City of Louisville: 483, LA-F1914, LA-F1915, LA-F1082, MA-1355C, MD-107-
1626, ME-LM50017382, MI-3601205773, MN-TS01807, MO-City of St. Louis: CC#354, St. Louis County: 100194, MS-15007958,MT-PSP-ELS-LIC-247, NC-25310-SP-FA/LV, NC-1622-CSA, NE-14451, NJ Burglar Alarm Lic. # -NJ-34BF00021800,
NM-353366, NV-0068518, City of Las Vegas: 3000008296, NY-Licensed by the N.Y.S. Department of State UID#12000317691, NYS #12000286451,OH-53891446, City of Cincinnati: AC86, OK-AC1048, OR-170997, Pennsylvania Home
Improvement Contractor Registration Number: PA022999, RI-3582, RI-7508, SC-BAC5630, SD- 1025-7001-ET, TN-1520, TX-B13734, ACR-3492, UT-6422596-6501, VA-115120, VT-ES-2382(7C),WA-602588694/ECPROTEYH934RS, WI-City of
Milwaukee: PAS-0002966, WV-WV042433, WY-LV-G-21499. 3750 Priority Way South Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46240 ©2017 DEFENDERS, Inc. dba Protect Your Home
DF-CD-NP-Q320
Try the SHIP TO STORE feature at millershomecenter.com
3815 Pocahontas Road, Baker City 541-523-6404
3109 May Lane, La Grande 541-963-3113