The late Eddie Van Halen was honored at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday night (October 14) in a presentation introduced by Kelly Clarkson.
During the second half of the ceremony, Clarkson paid tribute to late entertainers as part of an In Memoriam segment. After name-checking the likes of Juice WRLD, Little Richard, and more, the host turned her attention to the famed guitarist. "A true giant was taken from us," the singer said of the late, great icon, before introducing a throwback performance from the band. "He was a legendary guitarist, an amazing musician and an incredible songwriter."
In case you forgot, the group performed "Panama" at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. After Taylor Swift offered the world premiere of her "Bad Blood" music video, the group churned out a rocking performance of the 1984 hit. Towards the end of the footage, the 2020 ceremony placed a sole guitar on stage, before fading away to commercial break.
As you know, the Van Halen co-founder died after a long battle with throat cancer on October 6. He was 65.
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