“Fake and contrived”: Sammy Hagar on the artist who copied his every move
When Sammy Hagar stepped in to take over from David Lee Roth, Van Halen was entering a strangely unique juncture. While Roth’s departure unveiled space for the remaining members to explore new sonic avenues, Hagar’s inclusion brought a fresh dynamic that allowed them to veer away from Roth’s desire to keep up the thunderous tunes about partying in a more natural manner.
Regardless of the dynamic oddities that followed his departure, Roth’s inclusion initially meant that Van Halen could reach new heights, and his contributions ended up influencing those beyond the confines of the band’s circle. According to Gene Simmons, Roth made people like Mick Jagger look like amateurs, and it was all thanks to his flamboyance and ability to connect with any audience anywhere.
However, when Hagar turned up as his replacement, his inclusion was a serendipitous affair that saw Van Halen transitioning from a good band into a great one. Even better was the fact that everything he embodied was purely organic; he wasn’t concerned with being another Roth. He just wanted to be as authentic as possible, and if the band succeeded, it was because he wasn’t faking any of it. As he once said: “What I brought to Van Halen was just who and what I am.”
Hagar kept a close eye on Van Halen before his run, so much so that he even heard about Roth’s departure before the fans did. It would be the band’s producer, Ted Templeman, who planted the seed, but Hagar also shared a mechanic with Eddie Van Halen at the time, and he happened to be working on a job when he convinced Van Halen to call up the musician and offer him a spot in the lineup. Strangely enough, Hagar actually anticipated the call before he got it, mainly because he felt in his gut he was the only one to step into the limelight and drive the band forward.
“Eddie was insistent,” Hagar told Louder, reflecting on the moment he wanted him on board. Somewhere between entering a messy studio, reflecting on his grandiosity as a musician, drinking margaritas, eating tacos, and laughing “all night”, Hagar was in, and he was ecstatic. Without a second thought of starting a new band, Hagar wanted to do everything right by Van Halen, and that meant being better than Roth ever was.
In his mind, Roth’s reputation appeared mismatched with his charisma and talent, which meant he came equipped with more criteria to get the job done even better than his predecessor could ever dream of. “I was a fan of the band,” he said, “but Roth always bugged me.” Explaining his disdain further, he added: “He was fake and contrived. If anything, Dave had been mimicking me. He started wearing bandanas after I did. He started drinking Jack Daniel’s on stage after I did. I didn’t have enough respect for him to fear that job.”
Although Templeman jumped ship to work with Roth, Hagar never felt threatened, and the remaining members used their newfound hatred for their former vocalist to fuel the desire to excel. Aside from the members’ belief that Hagar could “do anything I threw at him,” they recognised his versatility and strong work ethic, which not only helped them create a more cohesive sound but resulted in them achieving even greater commercial success.
