Rock On: Pasadena Eyes Eddie Van Halen Memorial Plaque

PASADENA, CA — Pasadena is one step closer to honoring hometown rock legend Eddie Van Halen.

Organizers of a campaign to build a memorial for the guitarist posted on their GoFundMe page that they met with a city official last week about placing a plaque honoring Van Halen at the Pasadena Convention Center. Van Halen died last year at the age of 65 after a battle with throat cancer.

Van Halen and his band played at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, which is part of the convention center, several times throughout the 1970s prior to their mainstream success, according to the GoFundMe organizers, Randa Schmalfeld and Julie Kimura.

“The shows that the band played at the Pasadena Civic brought the band the widespread recognition and fan base that helped to launch them into international stardom,” the two wrote on the campaign page.

The group's transition from a local garage band to international rock stars was "nothing short of incredible," Schmalfeld told Pasadena Now magazine.

“We are so delighted that Van Halen will be recognized with a plaque celebrating the band’s Pasadena roots, and the important role that the Pasadena Civic Auditorium played in the band’s early success,” he said. “We are delighted to make this significant donation in celebration of Edward Van Halen’s extraordinary talent and in honor of Van Halen’s Pasadena roots.”

There's currently no time frame on when the plaque will be installed, and a design has not been finalized, according to Pasadena Now. The plaque cannot feature Van Halen's likeness or an image of his "Frankenstrat" guitar because of legal issues.

In addition to the plaque, the two are lobbying the city to rename an alley in Old Town Pasadena after Van Halen and are in discussions with the Pasadena Unified School District to have a mural painted at Pasadena High in honor of Van Halen and his brother, Alex, who both attended the school.

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