Guitarist Eddie Van Halen was a Dutch-American musician who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. He was known for his innovative and often flamboyant guitar playing style, which included two-handed tapping and dive bombing. He was also one of the first guitarists to use the 'brown sound' technique, which involved using a combination of distortion and volume to create a unique sound. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.