Mural honoring late Eddie Van Halen unveiled at Hollywood Guitar Center

Happy birthday, Eddie Van Halen.

On Tuesday — which would have been the late rock star’s 66th birthday — a colorful mural of the guitarist is set to be unveiled outside Guitar Center’s flagship store in Hollywood. Painted by Los Angeles artist Robert Vargas, the 17-by-105-foot portrait depicts the musician shredding his signature “Frankenstrat� guitar.

Van Halen died in October at age 65 after battling throat cancer.

“Eddie was one of my creative heroes,� Vargas said in a statement. “When I was young, the debut Van Halen record was the first album I ever owned. He influenced me over the years in so many different ways.

“As soon as the news hit of his passing, I knew I had to do something creative to memorialize him, and Guitar Center was the obvious venue. Right here on the Sunset Strip, where the band made their bones — I can’t think of a better place for this tribute to him, and I thank Guitar Center for giving me the canvas to share it with the world.�

Located on Sunset Boulevard, Guitar Center’s Hollywood location already boasts multiple tributes to the “Runnin’ With the Devil� hitmaker, including instrumental memorabilia and Van Halen’s handprints, the latter of which are featured prominently outdoors on the store’s star-studded RockWalk. The building also bears a mural of another guitar god, Jimi Hendrix.

In recent months, California and its City of Angels have seen a number of murals go up in honor of fallen entertainment heroes, including screen icon Chadwick Boseman and Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who died with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter accident exactly one year ago.

Upon his death last year, a slew of rockers saluted the Van Halen co-founder on social media. Heartfelt tributes poured in from Van Halen lead vocalist Sammy Hagar, Kiss musicians and singer-songwriter Billy Idol, as well as Van Halen’s son, bassist Wolf Van Halen, and ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli.

“Happy 66th Birthday, Pop,� Wolf Van Halen wrote Tuesday on Instagram. “I wish I could give you the biggest hug and celebrate it with you. I love and miss you so much it hurts. I don’t even know how to put it into words. I’m doing my best to hold it together, but goddammit it’s really tough being here without you.�

Van Halen fans are encouraged to visit Guitar Center’s Instagram and YouTube pages for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the mural, which was scheduled to be completed and signed by Vargas at 1 p.m. today.

“When you work hard at something, you can reach your full potential,� Vargas said in a statement. “Be true to your art, and your art will be true to you. I had the chance to meet Eddie a few years back, and because he and I connected on the nature of art and creativity, painting him here is therapeutic.�