There are some musicians who come and change a culture, an attitude or future musicians. Another musician who influenced future generations and considered one of the greatest guitarists in the world is Eddie Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen was born in Holland in 1955 and immigrated to Pasadena, California. By the age of seven, Eddie was training as a classical pianist, even as his love of Rock and Roll was developing. He started working on a paper route and used the money to buy a drum set. His brother Alex, also musically inclined, bought a guitar. After months of practice, Alex and Eddie switched instruments. Alex spent hours on Eddie's drums and loved playing them. Eddie, a little frustrated with the drums, took Alex's guitar and felt comfortable with the instrument. Eddie would sit in his room for hours memorizing Eric Clapton's guitar rifts from "Cream." During his teenage years, Eddie and brother Alex Van Halen played local clubs and parties in California. They started to become a big name in the local Pasadena California area. A police officer once commented that the parties the Van Halen brothers played at were so big that the police were looking for where the party was located within a four-block radius. There were nearly 2,000 people attending house parties when the Van Halen brothers played. Alex and Eddie initially called the band Genesis, but discovered there was a much larger group in Europe with the same name, so they changed it to Mammoth. The band had humble beginnings and the brothers could not afford a PA system for their concerts. They rented a PA system from David Lee Roth when his band wasn't playing. During a show, the rented PA system broke. A member of the local band...... middle of paper...... Chinese wholesalers on Aliexpress.com. Network. June 7, 2011. .This was another of Eddie's home-built guitars. These images are a representation of the true musician that is Eddie Van Halen. Even expensive guitars wouldn't give the sound Eddie was looking for, so he built his own."YouTube - Eruption Guitar Solo--Eddie Van Halen‏." YouTube: Broadcast yourself. Network. June 07, 2011. .Included because this is Eddie, as any musical artist and fan could tell you within the first 4 seconds of hearing his signature sound. Influential! I charge anyone who is a rock fan to give it a listen and not be able to tell within 4 seconds of playing that this is none other than Eddie Van Halen.