Alex Van Halen receives Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion

Alex Van Halen, the drummer for the legendary rock band Van Halen, has been awarded the Knight in the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands. The royal decoration, which recognizes exceptional merits in arts, science, sport, or literature, was presented to the 73-year-old musician by Nijmegen Mayor Hubert Bruls at the Berchmanianum.

Van Halen, who was born in Amsterdam and lived in Nijmegen from ages two to nine before moving to the United States in 1962, traveled from America specifically for the ceremony. He expressed gratitude for the honor, noting that such institutions add “a dignity and a gravity to what we do.”

As a founding member of Van Halen, Alex worked alongside his brother, the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, until Eddie’s death in 2020. The band became one of the most successful rock groups in the United States, known for hits such as “Jump” and “Runnin' With The Devil,” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.