In a pointed critique of Alex Van Halen’s recently released memoir, Brothers, Sammy Hagar has expressed his discontent with the book’s omission of what fans often call the “Van Hagar” era. The memoir, which chronicles the early years of Van Halen, ends before the departure of David Lee Roth and skips over Hagar’s tenure as frontman — a period marked by remarkable commercial success. Moreover, Alex Van Halen recently stated that he ended the book’s narrative in 1984, because “after that, it wasn’t the same”.
Hagar, who fronted the band from 1985 to 1996 and again briefly from 2003 to 2005, took to Instagram earlier this week to voice his frustration (as reported by NME). Sharing a 1991 photo of himself with Eddie Van Halen, he responded to a fan’s comment that “most purists believe Van Halen ended with David Lee Roth.”
Hagar didn’t hold back, writing: “It could have ended, my friend, but instead we went on to sell over 50 million records for a No. 1 album then sold out every building and stadium in the world for a whole decade. That never happened again.”
Hagar also accused Alex Van Halen of failing to honor Eddie Van Halen’s legacy fully. He argued that the exclusion of his time with the band diminishes the contributions Eddie made during those years: “Alex is not doing his brother’s musical legacy justice by not acknowledging all the No. 1 albums and some great music Eddie and I wrote together — not Alex — but Eddie and I wrote together. To not acknowledge those 10 years of music is blasphemy to his brother’s musicianship, songwriting, and legacy.”
Hagar’s tenure with Van Halen is often credited with ushering in an era of broader commercial appeal, resulting in chart-topping albums like “5150” and “OU812”. His frustrations highlight a longstanding divide among Van Halen fans, with some favoring the raw, edgy sound of the Roth years and others celebrating the more polished, melodic hits of the Hagar era.
1 Comment
No one likes Alex anyway.