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Interview from Jam! Showbiz:
"Hagar's coming back, but not to Van Halen
by John Powell/Jam! Showbiz
( Picture of Spammy ).
Dream another dream.
This dream is over.
Sammy Hagar sang those words as the front man for Van Halen in 1991 and ironically, he's croonin' them again. Its time for Van Halen (Hagar) fans to wake up from their fitful slumber. The answer is...no. The Red Rocker will not be rejoining the band he helped resurrect in a full-time capacity in the foreseeable future.
( Spammy's breakfast while being interviewed )
"This may sound stupid to the fans, but I wouldn't do that to them. I think it would be such a blow to run them through all that horse shit and then say, 'Oh, I'm coming back.' It's dishonest," says Hagar stopping by the CANOE offices while on tour promoting his new solo album, Marching To Mars; and ecletic disc featuring the talents of Slash, Bootsy Collins, The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, and Huey Lewis.
( Picture of Slash )
Neon dollar signs and glaring spotlights weren't factors in helping Hagar arrive at his decision. Straining his youthful pipes in the '70s rock band Montrose, alongside former Edgar Winter guitarist Ronnie Montrose, and with a thriving solo career which racked up such hits as 'There's Only One Way To Rock' and 'I Can't Drive 55'; Hagar craved fame and fortune above all. A little bit older and a little bit wiser, he claims his priorities have changed since the breakup with Van Halen and his wife giving birth to their child. It's time to give something back.
If they ever did come to pass, his future plans would include reuniting off and on with Van Halen. The purpose would be free, Thank You concerts for the fans or donating money in support of a children's charity. The Red Rocker credits his bundle of joy with the change in attitude.
"I know people will think I'm crazy but I'd do it," says Hagar. "I'd join any band on that level who wanted to do this. I'm saying this to Michael, Eddie, and Alex. When they are ready to commit their lives to something like that, then that would be a reason to make music again with Van Halen."
( picture of Eddie Van Heineken in the park )
At present, Hagar doesn't wish to be around his former pals. The wounds
are too fresh and too tender. He will not soon forget the infamous 1996
phone call. It was Eddie Van Halen on the line. Hagar was officially
canned, told that the ties were severed and that he was free to resume
his solo career.
"The phone call pissed me off. I was hurt because they went behind my
back and actually replaced me with someone like David Lee Roth. The guy
who was the enemy. The guy who fucked them over. Roth humiliated Eddie
by quitting the band and leaving them hanging," he says. Hagar states
that he was willing to work through the year long turmoil that put a
strain on his close friendship with Eddie Van Halen. The recording of
the Twister film soundtrack and the Van Halen Best Of: VOlume 1 albums
increased the animosity. Eddie's heightened nit-picking drove him
batty. Hagar rates the final versions as 'mediocre' work and that the
fans recognized it as such. The alliance with former Halen vocalist,
the always-humble David Lee Roth, was Eddie's way of bringing closure to
a past betrayal that Hagar says still gnaws away at him. The Roth
Return fiasco which resulted in a public pissing match between Van Halen
and Diamond Dave was all part of Eddie's therapy sessions.
"If Eddie chooses therapy, that's fine. But that's the reason why he
got Roth back. He hated that guy. They hated David Lee Roth worse than
they hated the Devil. I'm telling you, I was in that band. And for
them to do that really, really, surprised me." says Hagar, insisting he
has no 'ego trip' with Roth, since, voice for voice, Diamond Dave can't
begin to compare.
( Gary and his gay boyfriend )
The Red Rocker ain't shy about expressing an opinion or two either about
Van Halen's new singer, Gary Cherone, ex of the perpetually whimpering
'rock' band Extreme. As he sees it, the band has thrown common sense
out the window.
"Well, great. Gary can sing all the stuff if the manager wants a club
act. You could go out to the Holiday Inn tomorrow and see someone sing
a Van Halen song. It's crazy. It's stupid. I don't care about
everything we've done wrong. It hurts me to see those guys screwing
up," he says.
The last time Hagar had contact with Van Halen was at the funeral of his
manager's wife. Hagar's manager also happens to be Van Halen's
attorney. The somber occasion brought Eddie and The Red Rocker face to
face. According to Hagar, though Alex acted as a gentleman through the
entire ceremony, weeks later he reneged on their private deal to stop
any mudslinging in the media before it started. Michael Anthony made an
effort to offer his condolensces. Eddie acted as if Hagar wasn't even
there. [DY NOTE: Hagar's manager is his brother Bob]
( Eddie's drink at the funeral )
"I hate to call Eddie Van Halen a weasel, but on a personal level he
was. He was sneaky. He couldn't look me in the eye. He had his shades
on and looking down the whole time," recalls Hagar. "He felt really
guilty. He looked like O.J. Simpson walking around, man."
But that's the past and Hagar isn't looking back in the rearview
mirror. It's onwards and upwards. He is sincerely appreciative of Van
Halen's friendship and monumental support over the last 10 years.
"I'm a better singer, a better songwriter, a better guitar player, a
better person for it. We had some great times. I am not going to sit
here and tell people how miserable it was. It was fantastic," states
Hagar. "I'm happy with what I'm doing and I'd rather just keep Marching
To Mars. When I get to Mars and there's no life there, then I'll
reconsider what I do. Some day, hopefully, we could get back together."
"Hagar's coming back, but not to Van Halen
by John Powell/Jam! Showbiz
( Picture of Spammy ).Dream another dream.
This dream is over.
Sammy Hagar sang those words as the front man for Van Halen in 1991 and ironically, he's croonin' them again. Its time for Van Halen (Hagar) fans to wake up from their fitful slumber. The answer is...no. The Red Rocker will not be rejoining the band he helped resurrect in a full-time capacity in the foreseeable future.
( Spammy's breakfast while being interviewed )"This may sound stupid to the fans, but I wouldn't do that to them. I think it would be such a blow to run them through all that horse shit and then say, 'Oh, I'm coming back.' It's dishonest," says Hagar stopping by the CANOE offices while on tour promoting his new solo album, Marching To Mars; and ecletic disc featuring the talents of Slash, Bootsy Collins, The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, and Huey Lewis.
( Picture of Slash )Neon dollar signs and glaring spotlights weren't factors in helping Hagar arrive at his decision. Straining his youthful pipes in the '70s rock band Montrose, alongside former Edgar Winter guitarist Ronnie Montrose, and with a thriving solo career which racked up such hits as 'There's Only One Way To Rock' and 'I Can't Drive 55'; Hagar craved fame and fortune above all. A little bit older and a little bit wiser, he claims his priorities have changed since the breakup with Van Halen and his wife giving birth to their child. It's time to give something back.
If they ever did come to pass, his future plans would include reuniting off and on with Van Halen. The purpose would be free, Thank You concerts for the fans or donating money in support of a children's charity. The Red Rocker credits his bundle of joy with the change in attitude.
"I know people will think I'm crazy but I'd do it," says Hagar. "I'd join any band on that level who wanted to do this. I'm saying this to Michael, Eddie, and Alex. When they are ready to commit their lives to something like that, then that would be a reason to make music again with Van Halen."
( picture of Eddie Van Heineken in the park )At present, Hagar doesn't wish to be around his former pals. The wounds
are too fresh and too tender. He will not soon forget the infamous 1996
phone call. It was Eddie Van Halen on the line. Hagar was officially
canned, told that the ties were severed and that he was free to resume
his solo career.
"The phone call pissed me off. I was hurt because they went behind my
back and actually replaced me with someone like David Lee Roth. The guy
who was the enemy. The guy who fucked them over. Roth humiliated Eddie
by quitting the band and leaving them hanging," he says. Hagar states
that he was willing to work through the year long turmoil that put a
strain on his close friendship with Eddie Van Halen. The recording of
the Twister film soundtrack and the Van Halen Best Of: VOlume 1 albums
increased the animosity. Eddie's heightened nit-picking drove him
batty. Hagar rates the final versions as 'mediocre' work and that the
fans recognized it as such. The alliance with former Halen vocalist,
the always-humble David Lee Roth, was Eddie's way of bringing closure to
a past betrayal that Hagar says still gnaws away at him. The Roth
Return fiasco which resulted in a public pissing match between Van Halen
and Diamond Dave was all part of Eddie's therapy sessions.
"If Eddie chooses therapy, that's fine. But that's the reason why he
got Roth back. He hated that guy. They hated David Lee Roth worse than
they hated the Devil. I'm telling you, I was in that band. And for
them to do that really, really, surprised me." says Hagar, insisting he
has no 'ego trip' with Roth, since, voice for voice, Diamond Dave can't
begin to compare.
( Gary and his gay boyfriend )
The Red Rocker ain't shy about expressing an opinion or two either about
Van Halen's new singer, Gary Cherone, ex of the perpetually whimpering
'rock' band Extreme. As he sees it, the band has thrown common sense
out the window.
"Well, great. Gary can sing all the stuff if the manager wants a club
act. You could go out to the Holiday Inn tomorrow and see someone sing
a Van Halen song. It's crazy. It's stupid. I don't care about
everything we've done wrong. It hurts me to see those guys screwing
up," he says.
The last time Hagar had contact with Van Halen was at the funeral of his
manager's wife. Hagar's manager also happens to be Van Halen's
attorney. The somber occasion brought Eddie and The Red Rocker face to
face. According to Hagar, though Alex acted as a gentleman through the
entire ceremony, weeks later he reneged on their private deal to stop
any mudslinging in the media before it started. Michael Anthony made an
effort to offer his condolensces. Eddie acted as if Hagar wasn't even
there. [DY NOTE: Hagar's manager is his brother Bob]
( Eddie's drink at the funeral )"I hate to call Eddie Van Halen a weasel, but on a personal level he
was. He was sneaky. He couldn't look me in the eye. He had his shades
on and looking down the whole time," recalls Hagar. "He felt really
guilty. He looked like O.J. Simpson walking around, man."
But that's the past and Hagar isn't looking back in the rearview
mirror. It's onwards and upwards. He is sincerely appreciative of Van
Halen's friendship and monumental support over the last 10 years.
"I'm a better singer, a better songwriter, a better guitar player, a
better person for it. We had some great times. I am not going to sit
here and tell people how miserable it was. It was fantastic," states
Hagar. "I'm happy with what I'm doing and I'd rather just keep Marching
To Mars. When I get to Mars and there's no life there, then I'll
reconsider what I do. Some day, hopefully, we could get back together."
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