Some celebrity deaths just hit harder.

This is one of them.

Here’s Wolfgang Van Halen announcing the passing of his father, Eddie Van Halen:

It’s really sad, but ultimately not a shock, since the legendary guitar player had been battling throat cancer for some time. TMZ says that doctors recently discovered that the cancer had spread to his brain and other organs over the past 72 hours, resulting in a steep decline in his health.

Unless you’re Billie Eilish, you’re familiar with Eddie and the music he made with Van Halen over the course of four decades. He founded the band with his brother Alex in 1972 and went on to release 12 albums that sold millions of records around the world. The eponymous debut album and “1984” disc went diamond status (10,000,000 sold), while other Van Halen records like 5150 and Diver Down went multi-platinum.

I’ve been playing guitar since I was a teenager and always loved Eddie’s style. He took the technique of “tapping” to extraordinary new levels, which is exemplified by the popular 1978 instrumental track, Eruption. He’d shred up and down the fretboard with a combination of hammer-ons and alt-picking that just made it look so effortless. He really was a master of his craft and later dabbled in guitar effects and keyboard playing on the Sammy Hagar records.

Philly was always good to Van Halen. Countless singles are still played on 93.3 WMMR and other local radio stations, singles like Panama, Jump, Unchained, Runnin’ With the Devil, Hot for Teacher, and Ain’t Talkin Bout Love. Those tunes are always going to be staples on rock radio until the end of time. Great band with great musicians and great frontmen who delivered hit after hit, year after year.

RIP Eddie Van Halen. Your assignment for tonight is to get in your car, drive around the neighborhood, and share his music with the neighbors, whether they like it or not.