A little more than two months after the tragic death of Eddie Van Halen, news has finally come of the official cause of the legendary rocker’s death. Eddie Van Halen had battled all kinds of cancer for years, and it was originally reported that the guitar god succumbed to lung cancer. Van Halen was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2000, following years of cigarettes and booze … and guitar picks? He would later say he believed the cancer was caused by the metal in the pick he often held in his mouth. Either way, he had part of his tongue removed in 2002, and he said it was the part that his copper and brass guitar picks always touched.

He was regularly treated for the cancer through the years, but it eventually began to spread even further through his body, including to his lungs. When he died, it was announced that he had lost his battle with cancer. However, according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ, while Eddie definitely did suffer from several debilitating medical conditions — including lung and skin cancers, pneumonia, and a disorder affecting the bone marrow called myelodysplastic syndrome — the official cause of death was a stroke.

TMZ also reported Eddie’s wishes about what should be done with his remains. His body was cremated 22 days after his death, and the ashes were received by his son, Wolfgang. The “Eruption” soloist’s final wishes stated that his ashes be scattered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Malibu. Eddie and Wolfgang were very close both on and off stage, so you can bet that Wolfgang will honor his father’s final wishes. “He was the best father I could ever ask for,” Wolfgang tweeted the day his father died. “Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift… I love you so much, Pop.”

Wolfgang Van Halen's first solo release is a tribute to his father Eddie

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