"I can't believe I'm having to write this," said Wolf Van Halen, "but my father ... has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning."

"He was the best father I could ever ask for," he continued. “Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift. "My heart is broken and I don't I'll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much dad".

Van Halen, a guitar virtuoso, was born in Amsterdam but grew up in Pasadena, California, where he founded the band alongside his older brother, drummer Alex Van Halen, and they quickly gained fame.

The group's classics include Runnin' with the Devil, Eruption's guitar solo.

Van Halen has sold more than 75 million records and has more number-one singles on the US rock charts than any other artist, according to the band's label.

According to celebrity site TMZ, Van Halen passed away in a Santa Monica hospital accompanied by his wife Janie, their son Wolf, who became the band's bassist, and his brother Alex.

His battle against throat cancer began a decade ago, according to the specialized media.