Eddie Van Halen's son on Monday voiced his disappointment with the Grammy Awards' in memoriam segment after his late father was honored for just "15 seconds."
Wolf Van Halen wrote on Instagram that he had been asked to perform his father’s song "Eruption" but had declined.
"I don't think anyone could have lived up to what my father did for music but himself," he wrote. "It was my understanding that there would be an 'In Memoriam' section where bits of songs were performed for legendary artists that had passed. I didn't realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of 4 full performances for others we had lost."
Sunday evening’s performance featured several A-list stars singing powerful renditions of songs by artists who passed last year. Among them were Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who honored Little Richard with a medley of his songs like "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly," as well as Lionel Richie, who paid tribute to Kenny Rogers by performing "Lady," a song he’d written for the country singer.
Related
Eddie Van Halen, who died in October, was recognized when a spotlight shined on a lone guitar while footage of the music legend played in the background.
On Monday, Wolf Van Halen said he thought the brief tribute to his father was not enough.
"What hurt the most was that he wasn't even mentioned when they talked about artists we lost in the beginning of the show. I know rock isn't the most popular genre right now, (and the academy does seem a bit out of touch) but I think it's impossible to ignore the legacy my father left on the instrument, the world of rock, and music in general," he wrote. "There will never be another innovator like him.
"I'm not looking to start some kind of hate parade here, I just wanted to explain my side. I know Pop would probably just laugh it off and say 'Ehh who gives a s---?' He was only about the music anyway. The rest didn't matter.”
Wolf Van Halen added that he would welcome a conversation with the Recording Academy about his late dad's legacy and "the legacy of the Rock genre moving forward."
The Recording Academy did not immediately respond to TODAY’s request for comment.
Wolf Van Halen was not the only person voicing discontent with the in memoriam segment of Sunday night's award show. Fans of the late "Glee" star Naya Rivera, who tragically drowned in California in July, were upset that she had been excluded from the tribute. Rivera was nominated for two Grammys while she was on "Glee" as a member of the cast.
