Guitar Center in Hollywood commissioned muralist Robert Vargas to paint a mural of the late Eddie Van Halen on the back wall of the business located at 7425 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. The mural was unveiled on what would have been Van Halen’s 66th birthday on Tuesday, Jan. 26. (Photo by Andy Keilen)
As promised, the Eddie Van Halen mural by artist Robert Vargas has officially been unveiled.
Vargas had been working on the project since January 11th and promised to have it completed and unveiled on Eddie’s 66th birthday (January 26th), and, as you can see above, he came through.
Here’s more from The Los Angeles Daily News:
Guitar Center in Hollywood is celebrating the life, legacy and music of Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen and unveiled a massive mural on what would have been the rock icon’s 66th birthday on Jan. 26.
Van Halen died on Oct. 6, 2020 surrounded by his family in Santa Monica following a lengthy battle with cancer. He co-founded the Grammy Award-winning Pasadena rock band that became Van Halen, which went on to have numerous hits including “Panama,” “Jump,” “Hot for Teacher” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.” He tops numerous best guitar player lists, and played the iconic solo on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
As the news broke of Van Halen’s passing, artist Robert Vargas, who is known for his larger-than-life murals — including a portrait of the late Laker Kobe Bryant at 5th and Hill in Downtown Los Angeles — stopped by the Rock Walk in front of Guitar Center on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, where Van Halen’s handprints are preserved in cement, to leave flowers and pay his respects.
“Robert actually came up to us and said, ‘Hey, I want to paint a mural of Eddie on your wall. I knew him and I knew the brothers; I’m a guitar player and huge fan and I want to help you guys memorialize him,’” Eric Bradley of Guitar Center’s artist relations said during a recent phone interview.
The mural is about 17 feet tall by 105 feet long and covers the entirety of the outer wall at the rear entrance of the store.
You can read more at the Los Angeles Daily News website HERE.
Follow artist Robert Vargas on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.
Below are a few more photos of the completed project included in the article:
UPDATE (1/27/21):
Wolfgang Van Halen has seen the mural and posted his appreciation for both Robert Vargas and The Guitar Center:
I want to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to the unfathomably talented @TheRobertVargas, and @guitarcenter for the painting of this incredible mural of my father at Guitar Center Hollywood.
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) January 27, 2021
What an incredible honor it is to see Pop immortalized in such a beautiful way. pic.twitter.com/BdfwevCnJC