Posted in: MGM, Movies, Orion Pictures | Tagged: Bill & Ted, bill & ted 3, Bill & Ted Face The Music, Eddie Van Halen, Face the Music, orion pictures, tribute, Van Halen

Bill & Ted: Ed Solomon Reveals Eddie Van Halen-Inspiration for Films

Published Wed, 07 Oct 2020 12:45:05 -0500

by Tom Chang

Last updated Wed, 07 Oct 2020 12:59:14 -0500

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The music and entertainment world is still reeling from the passing of Rock N' Roll Hall of Famer and legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who passed on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. Ed Solomon, who co-created the Bill & Ted franchise along with Chris Matheson, offered his tribute revealing how his music helped influence the films and plans for the rocker in the third film Face the Music on social media. "Super sad to hear about the passing of Eddie Van Halen," Solomon tweeted. "He was a big influence on Chris & me as we were writing Bill & Ted. In fact, when director Stephen Herek was reading the script, he got three pages in, stopped, put on '1984' & resumed. We wanted the movie to be a cinematic 'Jump.'"

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Image courtesy of Orion Pictures — Alex Winter as Bill S Preston and Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989). Image courtesy of Orion Pictures

Ed Solomon's Attempts to Recruit Eddie Van Halen for Bill & Ted Franchise, More Van Halen Tributes Pour In

Solomon admitted he and Matheson tried to recruit Van Halen into doing anything for Face the Music but came to a somber realization. "We tried to get him to do something – anything – in Face the Music, but they said he was unavailable and wouldn't tell us why. Sadly, I think I know now." The writer closed out with a clip from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), referencing the musician when talking about "not knowing how to play" while showing off their signature riff air guitar. Van Halen touted his non-traditional musical roots along with his renowned tapping on the electric guitar. Other artists across the music and entertainment industry continued to pour tributes for Eddie, including Van Halen frontmen David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, his ex-wife actress Valerie Bertinelli, Kiss' Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, comedian/actor George Lopez, among others.

Super sad to hear about the passing of Eddie Van Halen. He was a big influence on Chris & me as we were writing Bill & Ted. In fact, when director Stephen Herek was reading the script he got 3 pages in, stopped, put on 1984 & resumed. We wanted the movie to be a cinematic "Jump." pic.twitter.com/B2oTnDMWdH

— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) October 6, 2020

We tried to get him to do something – anything – in Face the Music, but they said he was unavailable and wouldn't tell us why. Sadly, I think I know now.

— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) October 6, 2020