Eddie Van Halen‘s sold-out talk about his life, music and career at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. on February 12th will now be broadcast online, so we'll be able to watch video of Eddie's speech the very next day.

Van Halen’s presentation — part of a series titled "What’s It Mean to Be American," will focus on the idea of reinvention, both as a person and as a musician.  Eddie and Fender are donating a replica of his famous late ’70s-era "reinvented" guitar, which combined Gibson electronics with body and neck designs from Fender. 

From the website:

What makes rock ’n’ roll quintessentially American? The answer may lie in our talent for innovation and reinvention–two subjects no one knows better than Eddie Van Halen. A Dutch immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen, Van Halen created an iconic American band–and kept it relevant for five decades by continually reinventing it. As a performer, songwriter, and inventor of instruments that allow musicians to make sound in new ways, he redefined how the guitar is played and designed. Is reinvention the definitive quality of the art of rock ‘n’ roll? Rock icon Van Halen discusses his American journey, and how he’s reinvented himself, his band, and the way the guitar is played.

Find out more at whatitmeanstobeamerican.org.

-Spencer