February 14th, 1983. The day the King of Pop and King Edward would team up to make rock and pop history.
Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” was released 39 years ago today. It would go on to become a number one single for three weeks and win two Grammys thanks in big part to the song’s now iconic guitar solo performed by Eddie Van Halen.
Did you know that Pete Townshend was initially asked to perform on MJ’s track? Or that Eddie didn’t get paid a dime for his solo? Eddie would later downplay his involvement saying it was no big deal, just 20 minutes out of his life. Just another unassuming, humble quote from our guitar hero but we know it was much more than that.
Below are a couple of videos to check out. The first is the story behind Eddie’s solo from the YouTube channel Rock N’ Roll True Stories. That’s followed by Eddie’s 2013 appearance on the Piers Morgan show talking about the song “Beat It” and his solo.
Listen To Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” Featuring Eddie Van Halen
Listen To Eddie Van Halen’s Isolated Guitar Solo On “Beat It”