Sammy Hagar Shares a Regret He Has About Eddie Van Halen
The overall drama within Van Halen has been a dramatic saga for seemingly its entire history. This is perhaps what led Sammy Hagar to have a particular regret about Eddie Van Halen.
The Red Rocker recently talked with Arizona Republic about a variety of career topics. One of them was his final tour with Van Halen, which saw EVH struggle throughout due to issues with alcohol and drugs. Hagar said he wishes he would’ve known more about what Eddie was going through, and then maybe he would’ve approached his issues with addiction with more compassion.
One regret he doesn’t have is being able to make peace with Eddie before he died in 2020. Hagar told Arizona Republic, ” … We had some really emotional moments on the phone, being very happy to be friends again. For me, I can only speak for myself, it was so important that we had closure before he passed, because otherwise, I don’t know how I’d feel about it.”
Hagar has tried to do the same with Alex Van Halen, but he hasn’t had much luck. In a September 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Hagar said he left AVH a number of messages since Eddie’s death, but he’s received no response.
“I think he’s still licking his wounds from his brother’s death, and God bless him, man,” said Hagar. “I don’t know how he could deal with it. I’m having a hard enough time myself.”
Hagar has often talked about EVH in the years since his death in 2020. One thing that still frustrates the singer — and likely countless Van Halen fans — was how the Van Halen camp just couldn’t get it together to put on a big tribute to the iconic late guitarist.
In October 2023, Hagar said on Rock of Nations with Dave Kinchen and Shane McEachern, “As far as the tribute goes, I’m so disappointed how they’ve handled everything, including when I left the band, what they did, and that … It’s ugly, but it’s not my job.”
Hagar’s frustration is also shared by Wolfgang Van Halen. He told Classic Rock in a November 2022 interview, “When it comes to Van Halen and entities surrounding the band it’s unfortunate … I don’t know what it is with some bands but certain personalities just can’t get over themselves to work collectively for one purpose – that’s been the curse of Van Halen for its entire career.”
