The mistake Sammy Hagar made with his solo career: “I didn’t know what I was doing”
The chance to join Van Halen was a pivotal moment that transformed Sammy Hagar’s career, marking a significant reward for years of dedication to his craft with minimal recognition. Many rock vocalists would have eagerly seized such an opportunity, but few had worked as tirelessly as Hagar to secure a spot at the pinnacle of the industry.
Hagar never intended to be a solo artist, hence why he was jumping with joy when the call came through to become the new face of Van Halen. Initially, Hagar rose to prominence within the heavy rock fraternity as the frontman of Montrose. The group didn’t become an international superstar comparable to Van Halen, but during Hagar’s two years in Montrose, they accrued a sizeable loyal fanbase and released two albums.
The vocalist was in his mid-20s when Montrose was formed and had yet to turn 30 when he was kicked out of the band. Hagar may have believed he was a human encyclopedia for rock ‘n’ roll, but he soon came crashing back down to earth upon setting out on his own two feet.
The final straw of his tenure with Montrose came during a European tour in 1975 when the relationship between Hagar and guitarist Ronnie Montrose finally became fractured beyond repair, leading to the frontman’s exit.
Hagar tried to accomplish it alone for the next decade before Van Halen finally came to his saviour, but his first five albums failed to make a significant dent in the musical landscape. Although many would have quit in his position, Hagar slowly showed signs of improvement with each release and finally made a mainstream breakthrough in 1982 with Standing Hampton.
During an interview with Music Connection, Hagar accepted responsibility for the lukewarm start to his solo career, admitting, “That guy was very, very young and green but wanted it bad. I became a solo artist too soon; in Montrose I had a seasoned guy like Ronnie Montrose to guide me, but we got out on tour and bumped heads, so I got thrown out of the band because Ronnie was a hard guy to get along with, God rest his soul, and I was trying to get the other guys to side with me.”
While Hagar confessed that at the time, he “thought every song I wrote was great”, the reality was that he “didn’t know what I was doing yet”. Instead, he learned on the job after reluctantly diving in at the deep end to hone his craft.
Although Hagar’s solo career eventually picked up, he never accrued fame like Van Halen, who had achieved household name status when he joined their ranks in 1985. Nevertheless, the version of Hagar who joined was unrecognisable from the incarnation thrown out of Montrose and nearly squandered his chance at hitting the big time.
Therefore, despite the immense jeopardy he faced as a solo artist, Hagar was valuable for the vital lessons it taught him, adding, “I just matured slowly, but that slow maturing is what made me who I am today. If I would’ve made it in my early 20s and got rich and famous I would probably be burnt out now. A lot of guys that make it overnight don’t last as long as me.”
Most importantly, his solo career was a reality check and forced Hagar to understand the harsh realities of the music business. While he made plentiful mistakes during the difficult decade in the musical wilderness, the humbling experience improved him immeasurably as a frontman and forced Hagar to stop believing he was a superstar who walked on water.
