As 2024 comes to a close, Sammy Hagar has posted a nostalgic photo on his Instagram page dating back to his time as Van Halen’s frontman that shows him arm in arm with the late Eddie Van Halen.
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Accompanying the throwback pic is a note from Hagar that reads, “walking to the stage in the good old days. #1990s #vanhalen I needed to see this photo today to close out this year.”
Hagar also responded to various comments fans posted on his Instagram. This led to an exchange in which Sammy expressed his displeasure that Alex Van Halen had a dismissive attitude about the music Van Halen made during Hagar’s tenure with the group. Alex’s new memoir, Brothers, focuses on Van Halen’s history up until original frontman David Lee Roth left the band. The drummer also has made negative remarks about Hagar in multiple interviews promoting the book.
In response to one fan who commented, “most purists believe [Van Halen] ended with [David Lee Roth,]” Hagar wrote, “it could have my friend but instead we went on to sell over 50 million records[,] [four] number one [albums,] sold out every building and stadium in the world for a whole decade. That never happened again.”
When another fan suggested that Alex Van Halen basically had expressed the same opinion about the band not being as good after Roth left, Hagar responded with some choice words about his ex-bandmate.
“Alex is not doing his [brother’s] musical legacy … justice by not acknowledging all the number one albums and some great music [E]ddie and I wrote together[,]” Sammy wrote. “[N]ot [A]lex! but [E]ddie and I wrote together. [T]o not acknowledge the 10 years of music is blasphemy to his [brother’s] musicianship and songwriting & legacy.”
More About Alex Van Halen’s Negative Attitude Toward Hagar
In an October 2024 interview with Rolling Stone to promote Brothers, Alex explained why he favored Van Halen’s classic original lineup over the band’s “Van Hagar” era.
“The heart and the soul and the creativity and the magic was Dave, Ed, Mike [Anthony], and me,” he said.
Alex also explained why he wasn’t interested in Hagar’s The Best of All Worlds Tour, which Sammy put together to pay tribute to Van Halen’s legacy and which features Joe Satriani on lead guitar.
“[I]n retrospect, playing the old songs is not really paying tribute to anybody,” Alex said to Rolling Stone. “That’s just like a jukebox, in my opinion. … To find a replacement for Ed? It’s just not the same.”
Other Comments from Hagar’s Instagram Post
Also in the comments section of Hagar’s Instagram post, a fan asked Sammy what his initial impressions of Eddie were when he first started jamming with Van Halen.
“Pure original deep soulful magic,” Hagar replied. “He was even better than I thought.”
The same fan also asked the Red Rocker what his favorite Roth-era Van Halen song was. He chose “Panama.”
Hagar’s 2025 Plans
Hagar plans to continue to celebrate Van Halen’s music in 2025.
As previously reported, Sammy has scheduled a Las Vegas residency with his Hagar’s The Best of All Worlds band that runs from April 30 through May 17. The nine-date engagement will take place at the Dolby Live venue at the Park MGM hotel and casino.
Prior to the Las Vegas residency, Hagar has three other shows scheduled for 2025. The first will take place on February 20 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas. The second is scheduled for February 21 at the Lucas Oil Live venue in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The third will be an April 27 performance at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.
Hagar also recently announced that he’s recorded a new song with The Best of All Worlds band that pays tribute to Eddie Van Halen. In a November interview with Rolling Stone, Hagar said that the track “should be out in the first of the year, maybe February or March.”
Tickets for Hagar’s upcoming concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub
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