Sammy Hagar Willing To Make Peace With Eddie Van Halen
Could there be a Van Halen reunion in the future with Sammy Hagar rejoining the group? Not likely, but he would at least make peace with Eddie Van Halen.
According to Rolling Stone, there had been rumors floating around the internet claiming that once former lead singer David Lee Roth exited the band for a second time, Sammy Hagar would rejoin the group. The rumor even fooled Metallica’s James Hetfield, who told Hagar about it.
“I’m telling you straight up, James. I don’t have a clue,” said Hagar, to a surprised Hetfield, earlier this month.
Two months ago, Sammy Hagar reached out to Eddie Van Halen via Twitter to wish him a happy birthday, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. Van Halen responded positively and thanked Hagar for the message. It had been the first time the two were in contact since Van Halen’s disastrous 2004 tour. Hagar was inspired to tweet the message to Van Halen after the surprise deaths of David Bowie and Glenn Frey of the Eagles.
“I realized that I didn’t want to take any enemies to my grave,” said Hagar, who described David Bowie as a hero.
Hagar continued, “If I K.O. tomorrow, I don’t want to have an enemy. I don’t know how the afterlife works, but I’d just as soon not go there with any enemies.”
This came after Sammy Hagar had released a profanity-laced two-minute video in June 2015 defending Van Halen’s original bassist Michael Anthony, according to Rolling Stone. The video titled “In Defense of Mikey” was made in response to Eddie Van Halen’s criticism of Anthony’s bass skills.
“It’s really irritating to see them go after Mikey. Mikey didn’t do anything, ever, to Van Halen,” said Hagar, in the video. “Mikey was the most loyal guy in the band, he was the first guy there at rehearsal, the last guy to leave.”
“He’s kept a vigilant eye on what the guitarist [Eddie Van Halen] has been up to and readily slings mud,” said Collin Robinson of StereoGum. “To put it euphemistically, the former frontman wasn’t impressed with the band’s last offering Tokyo Dome Live In Concert.”
However, as unlikely as it seems, Sammy Hagar would consider rejoining the group sometime in the future.
“I’d say, ‘F**k yeah, let’s get some coffee,'” said Hagar, in an interview with Rolling Stone. “If I did it myself I’d be way too vulnerable.”
However, he has one concession – Michael Anthony would also have to be brought back in on bass.
“There’s no scenario I’d do it without Mikey,” said Hagar, who said that he wouldn’t be the first to reach out to the band.
Hagar continued, “Absolutely not. I would do a solo album with Ed. We can call it the Sam and Ed Show or the Ed and Sam Show. But there’s no such thing as a Van Halen reunion without Mikey. I think they just proved that.”
“No telling what will come of his epiphany, but it’s cool to see that he’s open,” said Collin Robinson.
Sammy Hagar, though, isn’t sitting around waiting for “his epiphany” to happen. He’s been busy planning a reunion tour with the supergroup Chickenfoot, as reported by News Channel Nebraska.
The group consisting of Hagar, Joe Satriani, Chad Smith, and Michael Anthony, will be hitting the road in May for the first time in six years. The 68-year-old singer told News Channel Nebraska that the band has agreed to only play Chickenfoot’s original music when in concert.
Hagar is also planning four concerts in July and September with his band The Circle, consisting of Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, and Vic Johnson.
However, Sammy Hagar proved he isn’t too bitter to look back at his contribution as lead singer of Van Halen for 1986’s 5150. The album celebrated it’s 30th anniversary this week.
“When I played with the three of them there was such chemistry and it was so exciting,” said Hagar.
[Photo by Larry Marano/Getty Images]
