Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso whose group is considered one of the greatest rock bands of all time, died on Tuesday following a long battle with cancer.

On his twitter post, Wolf Van Halen, son of the rock star wrote: “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,”

“My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.” He said.

Born in the Netherlands and raised in California, Van Halen founded the rock group with his older brother Alex in the early 1970s and quickly earned a fan base.

He was famous for what became known as “finger tapping” — playing the guitar with two hands, like a piano.

He was also known for his guitars, including one named Frankenstein which he pieced together from part of other instruments.

Among the group’s classics are “Jump,” “Panama,” “Runnin’ with the Devil,” and the guitar solo “Eruption.”