LAMB OF GOD's MARK MORTON: 'EDDIE VAN HALEN Is The Sole Reason I Ever Dreamed Of Playing Guitar'

LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton has paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who died earlier today (Tuesday, October 6) at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's death was confirmed by his son, and VAN HALEN bassist, Wolfgang Van Halen.

Morton said in a statement: "Edward Van Halen is the world's greatest guitar hero. Pushing the limits of technical ability, innovation and style, Eddie single-handedly set the standard of what rock guitar playing was for his own generation and the ones that followed. His impact was not confined solely to the mastery of guitar. As a songwriter, Edward's pop sensibility and song craft propelled his band VAN HALEN through decades of worldwide, chart-topping success, weathering extreme shifts in popular music trends. His impact on rock music cannot be measured.

"Eddie Van Halen is the sole reason I ever dreamed of playing guitar. Literally millions of people all over the world have found a passion for music through his work. I am grateful to have been one of them.

"Eddie Van Halen will be loved and celebrated forever."

According to TMZ, Eddie died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with Wolfgang, and Alex, Eddie's brother and VAN HALEN drummer.

The site reports that Eddie's ongoing health battle went massively downhill in the last 72 hours, with doctors discovering his cancer had moved to his brain as well as other organs.

There have been a lot of rumors regarding the VAN HALEN guitarist's supposedly worsening health, with TMZ reporting recently that Van Halen has been traveling between the U.S. and Germany for cancer treatment going on several years now.

Last November, TMZ reported that Eddie spent several days in a hospital due to complications from his cancer treatment. Sources close to the legendary guitarist told the site he was admitted to the hospital with intestinal issues and abdominal pain, both the result of a bad reaction to the drugs Eddie was reportedly taking to battle throat cancer.