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We’re only a few weeks away from the October 12 release of legendary rock photographer Neil Zlozower’s second Van Halen hardcover coffee table photo book, "Eddie Van Halen.”

The Van Halen News Desk is offering up a series of quotes from the book by fellow rockers; a few weeks back, we had thoughts on EVH by AC/DC’s Angus Young (see here), and now it’s Lita Ford from The Runaways who checks in with her story.

(pictured above are The Runaways with David Lee Roth and LA dj Rodney Bingenheimer).

“In the very early days, the Runaways and Van Halen musically grew up together on the Sunset Strip. Edward was my friend. I’d go to his house after a night of partying, and we would say “Hi” to his mom, and he’d make me breakfast by opening a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast (mix with milk and drink your breakfast, chocolate or vanilla),” writes Ford.

“He was a great inspiration to me. You know how sometimes people say things to you that you carry with you for years, and that change your life forever? I was stuck in a world where not too many people listened to girls playing guitar. I didn’t know what I was capable of doing, especially having been fresh from the Runaways, which was an uphill battle. One day Edward said to me, “Lita, you can play guitar, what’s your f**kin’ problem, just DO IT!!!” Something so simple coming out of the mouth of Edward Van Halen was like an electric charge of energy going through my brain.”

“We all know EVH is the Les Paul of today’s world," states Ford. "We all know Edward changed the face of rock ’n’ roll. But it’s the person that he truly is that makes him so unique. He is an inspiration to every musician, because we all wanna be him, and some of us try real hard, but the reality of it is that there is only ONE Edward Van Halen!!! PERIOD!”

Check out the full story here.

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