THE death of rock guitar legend Eddie Van Halen has prompted memories of the night his band came to Bradford.

The revered guitarist - Van Halen’s creative force as they became one of the biggest bands in the world in the 1980s - died on Tuesday, aged 65, after a long fight against cancer.

Music fan John Murphy recalls Van Halen coming to St George’s Hall on June 7, 1978, when they supported heavy metal giants Black Sabbath.

“It was Black Sabbath’s ‘Never Say Die’ tour,” said John. “Van Halen were the support band, complete with David Lee Roth on vocals.

“The year before, (American rock band) Kiss supported Black Sabbath, and it is said that Ozzy Osbourne insisted afterwards ‘please book just a pub band’ on the next tour. That ‘pub band’ turned out to be Van Halen! Legend has it, at the end of the tour Ozzy decided to leave Sabbath, saying: ‘We can’t compete with that’.

“It would be interesting to see if any T&A readers were at that gig at St George’s Hall, when Van Halen took to the stage.”

Eddie Van Halen had treatment for tongue cancer in 2000. It was reported last year that he had been privately battling throat cancer for five years.

Black Sabbath co-founder Geezer Butler said Van Halen was a “true gent and a true genius”. He added: “Just when I thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse, I hear Eddie Van Halen has passed. So shocking. One of the nicest, down to Earth men I have ever met and toured with. A true gent and true genius. RIP.”

Described as “Mozart for guitar”, Eddie Van Halen was born in the Netherlands and raised in Pasadena, California. He formed the band with his brother Alex, bassist Michael Anthony and singer David Lee Roth in 1974. The group made a name for themselves playing in Los Angeles clubs before their 1978 self-titled debut sold more than 10 million copies in America and set them on the road to super stardom.

They followed their debut with Van Halen II, Women And Children First, Fair Warning and Diver Down and by the mid-1980s were one of the most popular acts in the world.

In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen eighth on its list of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time.

The band, who blurred the line between hard rock and heavy metal, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Tributes have poured in from the rock and showbiz world. Queen guitarist Brian May said on Instagram: “Completely gutted. This wonderful man was way too young to be taken. What a talent - what a legacy - probably the most original and dazzling rock guitarist in History.”

A message on the official AC/DC twitter account described Eddie as a “guitar wonder, his playing pure wizardry”. It added: “To the world of music he was a special gift.”

The Who’s Pete Townshend told Rolling Stone: “He was not just an innovative and stylish player with great taste, he was also a laidback virtuoso showman who just blew us all away every time. Every shredder today has lost their Master Teacher and Guide.”

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill sent his condolences to Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, adding: “But take solace in knowing that he will be long remembered and live on forever as one of Rock’s most extraordinary guitar virtuosos.”