Wolfgang Van Halen shared his debut solo single “Distance” yesterday, which immediately landed on the #1 spot on iTunes Top 100 Songs. Not just for rock, but all of music. The chart list countdown contains the hottest and most popular music hits and singles from all musical genres downloaded from the Apple iTunes music store, including today’s hot pop, rap, rock, and country songs. “Distance” is a tribute to his late father Eddie Van Halen, who passed away last month after losing his battle with cancer. Proceeds from the sale of the single will benefit the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. Wolfgang was writing material for his upcoming solo album available via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records, which was put on hold due to Eddie’s illness.
#1 on @iTunes. Not just rock, but overall. I’m speechless.
The response to Distance has been mind-blowing and I’m so thankful for each and every one of you.
Know that the weight of this moment is not lost on me.
Thank you.
Wish you were here for this, Pop. pic.twitter.com/MTcHoEl0DV
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) November 17, 2020
Purchase and stream the track here: https://found.ee/MammothWVH
Wolfgang comments:
“As my pop continued to struggle with various health issues, I was imagining what my life would be like without him and how terribly I’d miss him. While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life,” explains Wolfgang Van Halen.
Writing the song and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals for Mammoth WVH, “Distance” is an open letter to his father – one Wolfgang was fortunate to play for his dad and would become a favorite of Eddie’s – declaring “no matter what the distance is, I will be with you.” The video for the song is created from a collection of family home movies through the years and offers an inside look in to one of music’s most notable personalities. Chronicling the family through the years, the video ends with a touching voicemail left from Eddie to his son.
“I never intended ‘Distance’ to be the very first piece of music people would hear from me, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release. This is for him. I love and miss you, Pop.”
An organization that is very close to the Van Halen family is the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. Eddie was very supportive of the organization via numerous donations throughout his lifetime. Following in his father’s footsteps in another way, Wolfgang is donating his portion of all proceeds from “Distance” to the foundation.
“Our connection with Eddie grew out of his generous nature, his delight in seeing kids learn and play music, and ultimately understanding what’s important in life. Eddie lived out loud through his music, and I believe that he wanted to see that kind of expression ignite in the students. Music saved him and he loved giving back through what we do for kids through the power of music. Thank you, Eddie. We’ll never forget you.” – Felice Mancini, the President and CEO of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
About The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation:
The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation (MHOF) was inspired by the acclaimed motion picture Mr. Holland’s Opus, the story of the profound effect a dedicated music teacher had on generations of students. The Foundation keeps music alive in our schools by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs, and providing vital services to school districts nationwide, giving economically-disadvantaged youth access to the many benefits of music education, leading them to success in school, and inspiring creativity and expression through playing music. Over 24 years, more than 33,000 instruments have been donated to 1,579 schools across the country. Visit https://www.mhopus.org for more information.
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