Wolfgang Van Halen says his father, Eddie Van Halen, cried the first time he heard the musician’s single, ‘Distance’.

‘Distance’ is the first solo single from Wolfgang’s band, Mammoth WVH, released last November.

According to Blabbermouth, Wolfgang said in a statement that he wrote the song as his late father – the monolithic guitarist for Van Halen who died last October – battled cancer, “imagining what my life would be without him, and how terribly I’d miss him”.

In last Tuesday’s episode (January 5) of HardDrive Radio, upon being asked how family members reacted the first time they heard ‘Distance’, Wolfgang replied, “It moved everyone I showed it to.

“I remember when I showed it to dad for the first time, maybe it was out of pride or also just the song in general, he cried when he heard it.

“I don’t think he was aware of the significance of it for me; he just understood it as a song about loss.”

Watch the official music video for ‘Distance’, created from a collection of home videos, below:

He continued in his interview to say it was his father’s “unwavering support” that helped him complete Mammoth WVH’S forthcoming debut album – due for release this year via Explorer1 Music Group – saying, “His pride is what keeps me going to this day.

“In a way, it’s almost like I don’t care what anybody else says about me because my dad believe in me more than any other.”

Last month, Wolfgang said adamantly that his father’s band would never return without him and that he would never replace him.

Van Halen the younger had played bass in the band since their reunion in 2007, but was quick to rile out the prospect of a Van Halen return without his father.

“I can confidently say I will NEVER replace my father in Van Halen and tour around the world disrespecting my father’s memory,” he said in a tweet at the time.

“No EVH = No VH. Get the fuck over it, but if you can’t, just quit bothering me about it and demanding I do it when I’ve made it very clear how I feel.”