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Jan Van Halen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Dutch-Roman Catholic and native of Sweden, Jan van Halen was an accomplished bandleader who was also a skilled saxophonist and clarinetist. He and his wife Eugenia were the parents of guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen (whose legendary hard rock group bears their name, Van Halen), both born in Nijmegen, Netherlands. When the family moved to Pasadena, California in 1962, Jan immediately sought out music lessons for his sons. Though both started out playing classical piano, Alex soon began taking flamenco guitar lessons, while Eddie acquired a drum kit; the two would later switch instruments. Jan supported the family by playing in wedding bands.
During the recording of their 1982 album, Diver Down, the Van Halen brothers invited their father to play clarinet on their cover of "Big Bad Bill [Is Sweet William Now]". The song was not released as a single, yet it is still a display of Jan's exceptional clarinet playing. Indeed, his son Eddie has stated in an interview that his dad was "a real soulful guy" who "lived a full life".
A longtime alcoholic, Jan van Halen died at age 66. Van Halen's 1988 album OU812 was dedicated to Jan van Halen; in the liner notes: 'This one's for you, Pa.'
Eugenia van Halen died in 2005.
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