Rock star Eddie Van Halen dies after long battle with cancer

Eddie Van Halen, of the iconic hard rock group that bore his family name, died on Tuesday following a long battle with cancer, his son announced.

"I can't believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning," Wolf Van Halen wrote in a message on Twitter with a picture of the rocker who was 65.

"He was the best father I could ever ask for," he added. "Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift.

"My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop."

Born in the Netherlands and raised in California, Van Halen founded the rock group with his older brother Alex in the 1970s and quickly earned a fan base.

The group's classic hits include "Runnin' with the Devil," and the guitar solo "Eruption."

Van Halen has sold more than 75 million albums and has more number one hits on the mainstream US rock chart than any other artist, according to the band's label.