Eddie Van Halen thanks fans for support

Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen has issued a statement thanking fans for their support during his stay in rehab, reports Blabbermouth. The statement read, "I want to say thank you to all the Van Halen fans for the tons of emails and all the support they provided when I was in rehab earlier this year. It was an intensely personal thing that I'm not really comfortable talking about right now, but I want everyone to know that their support has, and always will, mean the world to me. I want everyone to know that I am truly grateful."

Eddie entered rehab earlier this spring after plans for a proposed reunion tour featuring original singer David Lee Roth were aborted, followed by his failure to show up at the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The legendary guitarist will discuss his life post-rehab in an interview with Guitar World magazine, his first since emerging from the experience. The interview is scheduled for the September 2007 issue of the magazine, on sale June 26th.

Eddie Van Halen's only official public appearance since rehab occurred in April, when he acted as an honorary official at a NASCAR race in Phoenix.