Entertainment

Rock Band Legend and Guitarist Eddie Van Halen Dead at Age 65

Published

4 years ago

October 7, 2020

Bchcomber

Rock Band Legend and Guitarist Eddie Van Halen Dead at Age 65

Eddie Van Halen, guitarist and rock music legend who helped give the rock band Van Halen its name and sound, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 65. A person close to Van Halen’s family confirmed the rocker died Tuesday due to cancer.

The person was not authorized to publicly release details in advance of an official announcement.

“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 bestselling artists of all time

Van Halen is among the top 20 bestselling 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 of a musical contradiction. He was an autodidact who could play almost any instrument, but he couldn’t read music. Eddie 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.

Honours 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 electric tonight.”

The members of the rock band 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 discovering there was another band called Mammoth.

Eddie put the smile back in rock guitar

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.”

Rock Band 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 getting 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 favour to producer Quincy Jones, while the rest of his Van Halen bandmates were out of town.

Greatest Rock Band of All Time

Van Halen received no compensation 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 rock band. 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 first 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.”

Hagar was ousted in 1996 and former Extreme singer Gary Cherone stepped in for the album “Van Halen III,” a stumble that didn’t lead to another album and the quick departure of Cherone. Roth would eventually return in 2007 and team up with the Van Halen brothers and Wolfgang Van Halen on bass for a tour, the album “A Different Kind of Truth” and the 2015 album “Tokyo Dome Live in Concert.”

I didn’t drink to party

Van Halen’s music has appeared in films as varied as “Superbad,” “Minions” and “Sing” as well as TV shows like “Glee” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Video games such as “Gran Turismo 4” and “Guitar Hero” have used his riffs. Their song “Jamie’s Cryin” was sampled by rapper Tone Loc in his hit “Wild Thing.”

For much of his career, Eddie Van Halen wrote and experimented with sounds while drunk or high or both. He revealed that he would stay in his hotel room drinking vodka and snorting cocaine while playing into a tape recorder. (Hagar’s 2011 autobiography “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock” portrays Eddie as a violent, booze-addled vampire, living inside a garbage-strewn house.)

“I didn’t drink to party,” Van Halen told Billboard. “Alcohol and cocaine were private things to me. I would use them for work. The blow keeps you awake and the alcohol lowers your inhibitions. I’m sure there were musical things I would not have attempted were I not in that mental state.”

Eddie Van Halen was born in Amsterdam 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 being classical pianists. The Van Halens shared a house with three other families. Eddie and Alex had only each other, a tight relationship that flowed through their music.

Eddie was a relentless experimenter

“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, Eddie got a drum set, which his older brother coveted.

“I never wanted to play guitar,” he confessed at a talk at the Smithsonian’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.’”

He was a relentless experimenter who would solder different parts from different guitar-makers, including Gibson and Fender. Eddie created his own graphic design for his guitars by adding tape to the instruments and then spray-painting them. He said his influences were Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix.

Van Halen, sober since 2008, lost one-third of his tongue to a cancer that eventually drifted into his esophagus. In 1999, he had a hip replacement. He was married twice, to actress Valerie Bertinelli from 1981 to 2007. Then to stuntwoman-turned-publicist Janie Liszewski, whom he wed in 2009.

“I’m so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments,” Bertinelli wrote on Instagram. Showing an image of their baby son. “I will see you in our next life.” – The Associated Press

Entertainment

Reports of a Split Contract Point to Taylor Swift and Her Fiancé Travis Kelce’s Matching.

Published

1 month ago

October 8, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – One of the ways that Taylor Swift showed her support for her boyfriend was by going to a football game that Travis Kelce was playing in while wearing a magnificent plaid suit that matched the outfit that he was wearing.

When this was done, it was done with the aim of making it happen, despite the fact that there were rumors going around about a split contract between the two of them.

The guy, who was 34 years old at the time, made a stunning entrance at Arrowhead Stadium while wearing a magnificent gray and black Taylor Swift checkered suit that was designed by Vivienne Westwood, who was also the designer of the costume.

She donned Taylor Swift clothing to show her support for Travis and the Chiefs.

Furthermore, they had arrived at the stadium earlier that day wearing Taylor Swift’s plaid shirt and jeans that were extremely similar to Kelce’s, which served as the basis for their synchronized costumes. This foundation was the foundation for their coordinated costumes. When Kelce arrived at the stadium, he was still wearing the same shirt and jeans that he had worn earlier.

Furthermore, Taylor greeted the occasion with a good attitude by matching her dress with a magnificent purse in the shape of a heart that she held on her wrist. This was yet another way that she showed her appreciation for the event. This item was a component of her ensemble.

It was stated by the Daily Mail that she made her return with this appearance, despite the fact that she had been absent from the two Chiefs games that came before it owing to her obligations to the Eras Tour. The fact that she had not been present for either of those games did not prevent her from accomplishing this.

“Now you all can shut the heck up about that bulls**t ‘breakup contract,'” a fan wrote on X in connection to this matter to express their opinion on the matter. “Now you can stop talking about anything.” “Now y’all can stop the hell up about that…”

It was a different fan who was the one who broke the news at this time period.

The statement reads, “BREAKING: Travis Kelce has reached a long-term extension with Taylor Swift.”

Following an extensive amount of deliberation and debate, the two parties have reached consensus on a deal that will be in place for the subsequent three years.

Providing that Travis continues to be advantageous for Taylor Swift’s company, the rules of the agreement indicate that Taylor Swift has the authority to renew the deal in the event that Travis continues to be useful. In the event that Travis is the one who is accountable for doing the dishes, there is a possibility that he may be awarded a bonus of some kind.

Swift and Kelce’s followers were able to let out a sigh of relief when it was discovered that a “contract” that had been reported to have been leaked and disclosed the exact date of Swift and Kelce’s separation was found to be nothing more than a fabrication.

This information was obtained from the source. It had been anticipated that the “contract” would have been made available.

In addition, it is worth noting that when the publication that stated that the couple had made the decision to end their relationship a month ago began to circulate on the internet, representatives for Travis were obligated to reject the charges.

SOURCE: GN

Entertainment

‘Joker 2’ Tops the International Box Office with $81.1 Million.

Published

2 months ago

October 6, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – It is projected that “Joker: Folie à Deux” made its debut this weekend with an estimated total of $81.1 million.

This would make it the most successful film at the box office around the world and the most profitable film overall from a financial standpoint. The picture, which is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster smash “Joker,” only made $40 million in the United States of America, which is a pitiful amount of money.

The film is a sequel to the 2019 mega hit. In the year 2019, the trailer for the movie was made available. The cinematic adaptation of the peculiar comic book has generated an astonishing sum of $121.1 million in revenue all over the world. This is a result of the film’s success.

Considering that the production of “Joker: Folie à Deux” took place at an incredible cost of two hundred million dollars, Warner Bros., the corporation that provided the finance for the picture, is currently confronted with a dilemma as a result of this fact.

The second “Joker” cost $65 million, compared to $75 million for the original.

This is a substantial difference in terms of the budget. The movie has been given a terrible “D” CinemaScore since the majority of the reviews that have been published about the film have been unfavorable, and audiences appear to agree with the reviewers. As a result of this, the movie has been given a terrible “D” CinemaScore.

Lady Gaga, who is responsible for putting her own distinctive twist on Harley Quinn, a favorite character from the comics, is responsible for a significant portion of the additional expense.

Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix, who reprises his role as the unstable comedian Arthur Fleck, and Lady Gaga are all responsible for a significant portion of the increased budget. There is a large portion of the additional costs that are linked with the production of the picture that may be attributed to these payments.

There were a total of 25,788 theaters and 76 markets outside of the United States that showed the movie. In order to act as screening locations, these locations were selected.

The fact that “Joker: Folie à Deux” made $8 million in the United Kingdom, $6.9 million in Germany, $5.6 million in Italy, $5.5 million in Mexico, and $5 million in France is a fascinating piece of information to take into consideration. Furthermore, the film made $5 million in France.

Only a few examples of what has been accomplished are presented here, but they are representative of the many different results that have been obtained. One week after the film will be released in Japan on the same day, it will make its debut in China on October 16th. This will be one week after the film is released in Japan.

Japan will also release the Joker movie to the public on that same day.

After grossing $335 million in the United States, the first “Joker” film grossed $743 million in other nations across the world. This is despite the fact that the film was only released in the United States.

In addition to generating a large amount of revenue, the movie was a smash hit that was incredibly well received by audiences. The film “Deadpool & Wolverine” broke the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film when it grossed $1.32 billion worldwide.

This achievement was accomplished by the film. The film was successful in accomplishing this specific goal. During a particular period of time, the film was the one that achieved the distinction of being the highest-grossing R-rated film movie.

Before “Joker 2” caused a breach between audiences and critics, Phillips announced that he had ended his career as a director of films based on comic books. At the end of the day, “Joker 2” was not successful. By the time this took place, the film had not yet been responsible for causing the rift.

“It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world,” he said in an interview with Variety in the month of August. “It was a lot of fun.” “It was a lot of fun.” “It was a lot of fun.”

SOURCE: VN

Entertainment

Reviews of Silent Hill 2 Provide a Higher-Than-Expected Metacritical Score.

Published

2 months ago

October 4, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – The Bloober Team and Konami-produced remake of the horror game Silent Hill 2 is scheduled to launch the following week, but reviews have already started to surface, giving players a sneak peek at the updated version of the game before it is made available to the public.

It would be an understatement to say that Bloober Team was under a great deal of pressure to get the game right, especially considering that the survival-horror genre’s enthusiasts regard Silent Hill almost as highly as Resident Evil.

Considering the Metacritic score that the game has received thus far, Silent Hill 2 players shouldn’t have any worries when the game launches on November 8

. This is due to the score, which shows that the game has only ever earned favorable reviews up to this point. Fans of the Bloober Team and Silent Hill will be happy to hear this news.

Silent Hill 2 currently has an 87 Metacritic rating.

In 50 reviews, the PlayStation 5 version received a score of 87, meaning that it also received an 87 on that platform. This is based on the fact that the score was given to the PlayStation 5 version. The Silent Hill 2 personal computer version received an overall rating of 88 out of 5, placing it somewhat higher than the PlayStation 5 version.

There isn’t an Xbox version of Silent Hill 2 that can be regarded as existing because it wasn’t part of the Xbox Series X|S. There isn’t any information available at this time on whether or not it will ever be made accessible on that specific platform.

A considerable portion of Silent Hill fans had not in the slightest expected that Silent Hill 2 would achieve five flawless scores of one hundred before these reviews were published. It is extremely unlikely that they expected anything at all. Actually, the great majority of reviews are favorable.

They also call it a welcome return to form for the Silent Hill brand, complimenting the Bloober Team for their appreciation for the first Silent Hill 2. Furthermore, they believe it to be the ideal starting point for beginners who have never really experienced Silent Hill before.

Due of this, Silent Hill 2 has few Metacritic reviews, both positive and negative.

No bad reviews have been posted. Some people think that the remake may have retained some of the most annoying and constrictive elements of the original Silent Hill 2 by staying too close to the original. These individuals believe that there might have been some issues brought on by the remake.

Thankfully for those of us who are now playing Silent Hill 2, those reviews are the exception rather than the rule, with the vast majority of positive reviews making up the small amount of negative reviews.

It is true that some people became skeptical about the remake because the Bloober Team was in charge of it. Furthermore, in the perspective of both its own series and the genre at large, Silent Hill 2 has been held in the highest regard ever since it was first made accessible to the general public.

Games like Layers of Fear, The Medium, and the Blair Witch game were all made by the Bloober Team; nevertheless, no matter which game was reviewed, none of these titles received particularly high review scores. With the release of Silent Hill 2, it’s possible that the public’s perception of the Bloober Team may undergo a significant shift.

Additionally, we are now writing our own review of Silent Hill 2.

Although it has taken longer than expected because we acquired our review copy after the game was already in progress.

However, even though more reviews are being received, it is highly doubtful that these would significantly lower Silent Hill 2’s Metacritic score. despite the fact that more reviews are coming in. Players of Silent Hill 2 should have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming week as a result of this.

SOURCE: CB