ALEX Van Halen has received a knighthood in his country of birth, the Netherlands.
The Order of the Netherlands Lion is the highest honour for achievements in the sciences, sports, and the arts and 73-year-old Van Halen was awarded it despite having left when he was nine.
Alex received the honour on Tuesday in a ceremony in Nijmegen, where he and brother Edward lived before moving to California in 1962.
“My cousin organised most of this,” Alex said to local media.
“But I’m very grateful. I think institutions like this are important in people’s lives because it adds a dignity and a gravity to what we do.
“Whether it’s actually deserved or not, that’s another question. But we can live up to it. That’s the whole thing, is you gotta have something to live up to.”
Alex signed the book of the city at the town hall and the local council issued a statement that read: “Alex still feels a connection with Nijmegen, and Nijmegen in turn honours the band.
“The musical legacy of Alex van Halen and the band Van Halen is immense. As a drummer, he developed a recognisable sound and a style of his own, inspiring musicians for generations.
“For his impressive career, he has been appointed Knight in the Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw.”
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