After Eddie Van Halen's death on October 6 at the age of 65, heartbroken fans took to leaving tributes to the massively influential guitar legend in Pasadena, California, where Van Halen formed in the early '70s.
Eddie's childhood home in the city, and Allen Avenue – the street on which he and his brother Alex scrawled their band's name into the wet cement of a sidewalk when they were teenagers – have become the site of makeshift memorials, provoking discussions of a more permanent memorial to the guitarist, and what form that might take.
With that in mind, the agenda report for today's (October 26) meeting of the Pasadena City Council – obtained by Blabbermouth – tackles a number of proposals for the memorial.
“Since his passing, Pasadena has received several requests and suggestions from the community to do or name something in Van Halen’s [honor] to [recognize] both his local connection to Pasadena, as well as the impact that his artistry had on music,” the report states.
“Given the band’s connection to Pasadena and the hometown pride expressed by its residents, several requests have been made to name a street, alley or other monument in his [honor]," it continued.
The proposals include, more specifically, a public monument – potentially at the Pasadena Convention Center and Civic Auditorium, where Van Halen played frequently in their early years – or the renaming of a street or alleyway near the Van Halen home.
“A strip of curb on North Allen near the Van Halen home on Las Lunas street has served as a make-shift memorial site since his passing, helping to prompt a broader discussion of a local memorial.
“Although the idea is reasonable," the Council said, "the street renaming process is not conducive to a predominately residential area should it become a destination for fans and visitors.”
Electric Drive, which sits behind the Raymond Theater – a venue previously owned by David Lee Roth's father, and an early Van Halen rehearsal location – has also been put forth for potential renaming.
As for a potential public monument, the report said: “The Pasadena Center Operating Company (PCOC) has been approached by an individual interested in hosting a virtual benefit concert with proceeds raised funding the construction of a statue or monument in the musician's honor.”
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