Eddie Van Halen & Valerie Bertinelli Remain Friends to This Day

Gettyimages | Ron Galella

Depending on whether or not you grew up in the 80s, you may or may not remember the famous engagement and marriage of Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen. She was a TV sitcom star and he was a rock legend in the making in the band that is his surname. At the time, many were surprised that they became a couple, thinking that she was too subdued and he was way too wild. They married in 1981, had a son in 1991 and were separated by 2001 - but are they still friends?

Gettyimages | Ron Galella

Bertinelli says it was her brothers who wanted to go see Van Halen in 1980 and asked if she would go with them in an effort to get backstage and meet the band. 'I took a look at the 8-track cassette that was in the back of my Corvette,' recalls Bertinelli in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2008, 'and I saw a picture of Ed, and I went, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll be going. He’s a cutie.’ The two met after that show and Valerie admits being instantly infatuated. Eddie called a few days later and they were inseparable from then on.

Van Halen formed in Pasadena, CA in 1972 and they were first known for their highly energetic performances, Eddie's guitar wizardy and most notably, bringing rock music back to the forefront in the 1970s. They've sold over 56 million records and have gone through numerous line up changes over the years to include David Lee Roth being replaced by Sammy Hagar in 1985, the return of Roth and Eddie's son Wolfgang joining the band in 2004. They've recorded twelve studio albums, the most recent being in 2012. The band has been on hiatus since 2015, but Roth is out touring with the one and only KISS.

Gettyimages | Ethan Miller

Wolfgang Van Halen, currently 28 years old, is the only son of Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen. He making a good run at continuing his dad's legacy and he was the youngest to play bass for Van Halen. He was named him after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his mom says he was always into music and a 'good kid'. It's no surprise he's got a music career being the son of Eddie Van Halen. 'Wolfie', as he's sometimes called, is in currently the final stages of his long awaited solo debut album.

Gettyimages | Vince Bucci

Eddie, who just turned 65 this January, developed tongue cancer in 2000 and had to have a third of his tongue removed. The cancer came back, this time in his throat, and he is being treated in Europe. Bertinelli has been to see her ex-husband during his illness and they’ve remained friends, both attending the other’s weddings. The bond of a child can tend to do this, and luckily for all of them, it has. Wolf shared a post last year with the caption 'family' next to a heart and a camera icon.