The Van Halen drummer was decorated with the Order of the Dutch Lion during a ceremony in Nijmegen, the city where he grew up with his brother Eddie before leaving for Los Angeles in 1962. There he signed the City Book, a register which also includes Bruce Springsteen and King Willem-Alexander.
Alex Van Halen was knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion.
The legendary drummer received the country’s highest civilian honor in Nijmegen, where he and his brother Eddie grew up before moving to Los Angeles in 1962. At the ceremony Tuesday, Van Halen said with his customary humility: “My cousin organized most of this, but I’m very grateful.” I think institutions like this matter in people’s lives, because they add a dignity and gravitas to what we do. Whether it’s really deserved or not is another question. But we can be worthy of it. That’s the whole principle: you have to have something to prove yourself worthy of. »
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Van Halen shared photos on social media taken by the city of Nijmegen, which praised the musician’s remarkable career and bold sound, which has inspired generations. The drummer was also photographed signing the Nijmegen City Book, a register of personalities including Bruce Springsteen and King Willem-Alexander.
In October 2024, Van Halen released his memoir, Brotherswhich chronicles his life with Eddie, from their childhood to the end of Van Halen’s original lineup in 1984. “I was with him from day one,” Alex writes in the book. We shared the experience of arriving in this country and looking for how to integrate there. We shared a record player, a 800-square-foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later, we shared the depths of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of success, becoming fathers and uncles, and spending more hours in the studio than I have spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime. »
