How Eddie Van Halen Almost Shredded the John Wick Soundtrack Before His Untimely Death

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In an intriguing twist of movie soundtrack lore, Eddie Van Halen nearly graced the soundtrack for a film within the John Wick series – a franchise you can access with a Peacock Subscription. As revealed by the franchise’s lead composer, Tyler Bates, they had talked about this opportunity just before the iconic guitarist’s passing in 2020. Being an ardent admirer of both Van Halen and the John Wick films, I find myself twice as melancholic over this missed collaboration. My mind is overflowing with imaginative scenarios.

Tyler Bates And Eddie Van Halen Became Good Friends

In an interview with Screenrant, Bates shared that towards the end of Van Halen’s life, they frequently talked. Eventually, Van Halen visited Bates’ home for a casual gathering, and potentially to discuss including Van Halen in the soundtrack, expressing this intention.

He dropped by at my home. It was incredibly thoughtful of him to visit, and he stayed for some time, yet I had the feeling he wasn’t fully engaged or eager to participate in any activities. He mentioned that he hadn’t played anything for quite a while.

On several occasions, they conversed over the phone. At one juncture, Bates requested again that Van Halen consider making a donation.

Regardless, he contacted me repeatedly, and each time I simply responded, ‘Ed, since you reside so close by, if you’re keen on this, I can arrange a guitar for you. If you’re not satisfied with our work, I’ll publicly smash it right in front of you.’

Regrettably, after Bates’ statement, further talks about Van Halen contributing to the soundtrack ceased. He declared that was the conclusion.

From that point on, the only times we were talking were about his health battles and stuff.

It’s an incredibly appealing notion that one of the most outstanding guitarists might have performed on a John Wick soundtrack, yet unfortunately, it remains just a dream, due to reasons that are perfectly reasonable.

It Likely Would Have Been One Of Eddie Van Halen’s Final Recordings

Regardless of whether the soundtrack in question was from “Chapter 2” or “Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” it’s likely that it would have been one of Eddie Van Halen’s last recordings. The last album by Van Halen, “A Different Kind of Truth,” was released in 2012. Their final tour ended in 2015, and a recording titled “Unfinished” was released with Alex Van Halen’s (Eddie’s brother) autobiography audiobook in 2024; however, the exact date it was recorded remains unknown.

As a devoted cinephile, I’ve been following the chatter surrounding the release of the second and third installments of an utterly mind-boggling franchise. This discussion seems to have taken place somewhere between 2017 and 2019. Sadly, during those years, the iconic rock star, Van Halen, was grappling with cancer and other health complications before his untimely passing in October 2020 due to a stroke. This loss struck a profound chord not just in the music world, but also in my heart as an ardent fan of his band.

As we eagerly anticipate fresh updates regarding “John Wick 5”, let’s indulge in imagination, pondering what could have been if the late Eddie Van Halen had given us one final extraordinary performance.

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2025-07-02 23:09