Watch Van Halen Perform 'Mississippi Queen' With Leslie West

Much like his longtime buddy Eddie Van Halen, Mountain frontman and guitar hero Leslie West didn't struggle to forge lasting friendships with fellow rockers.

The pair of six-stringers admired one another from afar before becoming friends.

Eddie had no shortage of admiration for Leslie's iconic guitar tone on Mountain's early-'70s albums. Leslie first saw Van Halen perform live in the late-'70s at the urging of Journey's Neal Schon. He even credited Eddie's performance with reinvigorating his love of the guitar.

The two jammed together in private, years before taking their chemistry onstage with Van Halen at a 1995 concert at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, not far from Leslie's Long Island home.

Years later, in 2008, the two hooked up again in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

You can watch the two late-guitar greats trade licks in the video player at the top of this page and the one below.

Eddie died in early-October at age 65 after several years of battling cancer and related health issues.

Leslie died a few days before this past Christmas at age 75.

Photo: Getty Images