Rocker Eddie Van Halen's immediate cause of death has been revealed.
According to his death certificate, he died of a stroke. The document also listed several underlying causes including pneumonia, the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome, as well as skin and lung cancer, Ultimate Classic Rock reported.
Van Halen died on Oct. 6 at age 65. It was revealed that he had been battling cancer, but little else was known. Sources later told People that, while "everybody knew that he had cancer," many were not aware of how severe the disease was.
"He's had it for years, but nobody knew it was this serious," one insider said.
Knowing he was ill, Van Halen's family were extra cautious around him during the coronavirus pandemic.
"During the quarantine, everyone around Eddie was even more cautious about his health and his family truly protected him," a second source explained.
Van Halen was cremated 22 days after he died and his ashes have gone to his son, Wolfgang Van Halen, who will be honoring his father's wish to have them scattered off the coast of Malibu, TMZ noted. At the time of his father’s passing, Wolfgang posted a heartfelt tribute on Facebook.
"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift," he captioned a black and white photo of Van Halen. "My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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