KISS bassist Gene Simmons chatted to People about the passing of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, where he said:
“When I was shocked to find out Eddie had passed, the first image that hit me — so help me God — was Eddie Van Halen grinning from ear to ear with that big, huge, million-dollar smile. He always had that on, whether he was onstage playing for packed houses or in videos or meeting a stranger. He just smiles and says, ‘Hey, how you doing?’
“He would smile and his eyes would disappear. His cheeks would shoot up and they would take his whole face, like a little 12-year-old kid smiling when you’re not trying to impress anybody or you’re not aware of what you look like. It was a full-face smile. It was catchy. It grabs you off-guard.”
“He was unabashed and just comfortable in his own skin. I was not just amazed by his talent, but I admire him so much as a human being. Eddie was aware that he had this God-given talent, but I never saw him push that in anybody’s face. At the core, Eddie just seems to be a happy guy.
“Every once in a while, God gets it right. He did a good job with Eddie Van Halen, I’ll tell you that. He was a far better man than I’ll ever be. That’s the truth.”