In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Sammy Hagar offered another look into the silence that has defined his relationship with former Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen for more than two decades. While the guitarist and vocalist remain active with fellow ex-bandmate Michael Anthony, the absence of contact from Alex, who didn’t even reference Hagar by name in his memoir Brothers, continues to be a sore spot.
“I’ve had this conversation with a few people, including [former Van Halen manager] Irving Azoff. I’ve asked him, ‘What’s the problem?'” Hagar explained. “And some people have said to me, ‘Oh, Cabo Wabo. At one time, Van Halen, when you built it, you guys were all partners in that. And then they didn’t want it anymore when it was losing money, and they gave it to you, and you turned it around and made hundreds of millions of dollars on it. And they’re angry. Alex is angry about that.”
In response, Hagar added: “To that I said, ‘How the fuck could they be angry about that? They gave me the damn thing, they walked out on me, left me with it. And they made me indemnify them in case I got sued and lost everything. They made me sign off big time.’ And I’m going, ‘I hope it’s not that.'”
Some tension might also trace back to Hagar’s 2011 autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock, where he painted a troubling picture of Eddie Van Halen during their last tour together. “The book has been brought up. The book was honest. It was well documented that Eddie was a mess on that tour,” Hagar said. “But I don’t want to drag Eddie through no coals now. That’s just water under the bridge.”
Despite past friction, Hagar believes part of the estrangement may stem from where everyone has ended up, especially in terms of their musical paths. “I think Al’s angry because I’m out doing it, and Mike [Anthony, former Van Halen bassist] and I are out doing it, and he can’t,” Hagar said. “He’s not a singer. He’s not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn’t want to play drums or can’t play drums anymore, and he can’t go write a new record.”
Hagar went on to reflect on the creative dynamics within the band. “Alex wasn’t the songwriter in the band. He was the drummer. Eddie and I wrote the songs. Dave [Lee Roth] and Eddie wrote the songs, and so we can go out and do them. And I think that really bothers him that Mike and I are still out there doing it.”
Adding a touch of empathy, he offered, “I would feel bad. If I put myself in his shoes, I would feel terrible if I couldn’t do it anymore. But I’m the happiest guy out of all of them. That pisses people off in itself. Being too happy, people don’t like that.”
When interviewer Andy Greene brought up Alex’s health issues and hinted at why bitterness might be justified, Hagar didn’t push back. “Yeah, I’d say so. And I’m okay with it. Al, you’re fine. Just leave me alone. I’ll leave you alone. Everything’s good.”
Then, with a mixture of practicality and pride, Hagar added one final note: “I’m making you money, by the way, Al. I’m out there selling Van Halen records and keeping the name alive, keeping the music alive.”
