David Crosby half-apologizes for 'mistake' of dissing Eddie Van Halen: 'I didn't know he just died!'

Following fan outrage, Grammy winner David Crosby issued a half-apology on Tuesday for dissing the music of legendary metal guitarist Eddie Van Halen who died, age 65, on October 6.

The 79-year-old folk rocker first got into hot water last Saturday when he replied 'Meh' to a fan asking him what he thought of the Grammy winner.

'Hendrix changed the world of guitar. Nobody else really,' David - who boasts 179K Twitter followers - expanded on Sunday.

'Look, I get it. Many of you loved Van Halen, and the one time I met he was nice and he was talented. "Meh" to me means I don't care that much and I don't. [That] doesn't mean he wasn't good, he was, but not for me.'

Two days later, Crosby clearly realized the damage he'd done putting his foot in his mouth over Eddie - admitting what he wrote 'was not cool.'

'The even more embarrassing truth is I didn't even remember he had just died or I would have kept my mouth shut!' the Here If You Listen singer tweeted.

'I do make mistakes. No offense intended.'

Van Halen passed away at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica following a decade-long battle with cancer that spread to his lungs and brain, according to TMZ.

On Wednesday night, three-time Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson called the Amsterdam-born, Pasadena-raised rocker 'a true giant' during a brief tribute at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.

The NBC ceremony re-aired Eddie's 2015 performance at the same awards show alongside his 29-year-old son Wolfgang from his 20-year marriage to Valerie Bertinelli, which ended in 2007.

Fans can paid tribute to Van Halen at the memorial set up outside Guitar Center in Hollywood where his original Frankenstrat guitar is on display.

Meanwhile, David tweeted on Saturday that his 11th studio album - which he co-wrote with his 58-year-old son James Raymond - will be released 'soon.'

Crosby - who officially endorsed Joe Biden for president last Saturday - is next scheduled to kick off his 22-date 2021 concert tour on May 13 at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara.