Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang declined to perform at the Grammys, but he was stunned that the iconic guitarist received such a brief tribute

Billboard

A lot of fans wondered why the late Van Halen star didn't receive an In Memoriam tribute on par with Kenny Rogers, Little Richard, John Prine or Gerry and the Pacemakers' Gerry Marsden. Wolfgang Van Halen said on Twitter that he was expecting something more substantial, too. Wolfgang said he was asked by the Recording Academy to play "Eruption," but declined because "I don't think anyone could have lived up to what my father did for music but himself." What he didn't realize was that his father would receive only a brief tribute. "It was my understanding that there would be an 'In Memoriam' section where bits of songs were performed by legendary artists that had passed," Wolfgang wrote. "I didn't realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of 4 full performances for others we had lost." He added: "What hurt the most was that he wasn't even mentioned when they talked about artists we lost in the beginning of the show. I know rock isn't the most popular genre right now, (and the academy does seem a bit out of touch) but I think it's impossible to ignore the legacy my father left on the instrument, the world of rock, and music in general. There will never be another innovator like him." ALSO: Grammys got it right with Eddie Van Halen because any other tribute would've been a disaster.