The amount of respect given to the late Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen at the 2021 Grammy Awards was on the minds of some rockers and music commentators on Sunday (March 14) after the airing of the annual awards show’s “In Memoriam” segment.
Not that the Grammys forgot EVH or anything. The 65-year-old rocker’s name, image and signature Frankenstrat all shone brightly for several seconds during the broadcast’s customary look back at those we lost in the music world over the last year. And they showed him playing his music which is more than some others in the segment received. That much can clearly be seen in portions of the program being shared across social media — check out some of them below.
But it’s perhaps the short amount of time the Grammys spent on Eddie Van Halen that has certain voices speaking up. Sirius XM radio personality Eddie Trunk was among those sharing their displeasure with the tribute, saying in an Instagram message that he was “beyond outraged and disgusted” that they couldn’t do a bigger EVH memorial “in a more than 3 hour show.”
Van Halen contemporary and Extreme singer Gary Cherone also spoke up about the Grammys’ Van Halen tribute, as did Fozzy vocalist Chris Jericho.
“Maybe an Artist that reimagined how one plays an instrument, who continues to influence generations of musicians and, literally changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll deserves more than fifteen seconds at the Grammys?” Cherone asked in a tweet.
Jericho took the perceived slight a step further, cautioning the Grammy Awards, “don’t ever try to give my band a nomination, I’d rather win a [Razzie Award].”
Other viewers had similar concerns. “Seriously, THIS is all the [Recording Academy] could give Eddie Van Halen ‘In Memoriam’??” one tweet fired off. “I’m disgusted and they should be ashamed.”
But did the Grammys really try to snub EVH or just give a broad overview of the many musical greats the world lost the last year?
What do you think of the “In Memoriam” EVH tribute? Should the 2021 Grammys have done something bigger and badder for Eddie Van Halen?
