Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist of iconic rock group Van Halen, has died, confirmed his son. He was 65.

He died on Tuesday morning after a long battle with cancer, reports variety.com.

Van Halen's son Wolf tweeted: "He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss."

He had founded Van Halen with his older brother, drummer Alex; the siblings were joined by vocalist David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony in the first recording line-up of the group.

Roth posted a photo of himself beside his former bandmate, and wrote on Twitter: "What a long, great trip it's been."

His band were best known for their song "Jump", which got the top spot of the US charts in 1984.

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea tweeted that Van Halen had a "beautiful creative heart".