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Valerie Bertinelli marked five years since the release of son Wolfgang Van Halen’s song “Distance”
Wolfgang released “Distance” in November 2020 with his band Mammoth as a tribute to his late father, Eddie Van Halen
“To me, this song is perfection,” Bertinelli wrote alongside a sweet family photo from her son’s childhood
Valerie Bertinelli is reflecting on her pride for her son, Wolfgang Van Halen.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Nov. 23, the celebrity chef, 65, noted that it’s been five years since the release of “Distance,” a song Wolfgang, 34, wrote about his late father, Eddie Van Halen.
“To me, this song is perfection,” Bertinelli captioned a childhood photo of Wolfgang being lifted the air by her and the Van Halen frontman. “Yearning to stay in the present and knowing that’s not possible.”
The Indulge cookbook author was married to Eddie from 1981 until 2007. Eddie died from cancer at age 65 in October 2020.
“Wolfie does a new arrangement on this tour that just blows me away, my heart swells while my eyes refuse to stay dry,” she wrote. “And it’s not just me, you can feel the reverence and wonderment in the room with everyone. We are all one, frozen in time.”
“The pride I have in my son and how he is able to use his art to continue to work through his pain is something I’ll never stop being in awe of,” Bertinelli continued. “To the moon and back @wolfvanhalen 💙”
Wolfgang premiered “Distance” as the debut single with his band Mammoth (formerly Mammoth WVH) in November 2020. An accompanying music video included several clips of the father-son duo together.
“As my pop continued to struggle with various health issues, I was imagining what my life would be like without him and how terribly I’d miss him,” Wolfgang said in a press release for the track. “While the song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their life.”
wolf van halen/ Instagram
Wolf Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli
In February 2021, Wolf appeared on Today to perform an acoustic rendition of the touching song.
“I think it’s almost like a mantra when you lose someone that plays a large role in your life,” he said, describing the song’s chorus, “No matter what the distance is, I will be with you. No matter what the distance is, I’ll be okay.”
“That’s kinda my mantra when I think about my dad,” he added.
Valerie Bertinelli/Instagram
Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli with their son Wolf
While speaking with PEOPLE at the 2025 Food & Wine Classic in Charleston earlier this month, Bertinelli revealed how her son’s music career has inspired her Thanksgiving plans.
“Thanksgiving for me, the last few years has been interesting because my son’s been on the road,” she explained. “So the first Thanksgiving, I think it was four years ago, we had Thanksgiving in Milan with Alter Bridge, the band. And it was amazing. It was fun. Not a Turkey in sight though!”
The One Day at a Time alum added, “The next year, I don’t know where we went. And then last year we were in Secaucus [New Jersey] at a Houlihan’s and it was so much fun. We all sat at the bar because the restaurant was full and they sat all of us, the band, everyone — my brother, my son, his wife — was there. It was fun. And this year I think we’re going to be in Kansas City. I love it. So it’s wherever Wolf’s bus takes us, that’s where we’re going to be for Thanksgiving.”
Read the original article on People