The brutal Van Halen moment that moved Sammy Hagar to tears: “Oh shit”
Finding a singer suitable for Van Halen is a mammoth task, so how lucky that they managed to do it twice.
The reason why it was so tricky to find the right singer was because of how innovative the band was. Eddie Van Halen was essentially inventing a brand new style of rock. With his tapping technique and guitar tone, the guitarist was opening the door to a sound that previously hadn’t been explored.
Of course, while his guitar playing was leaving jaws on the floor, it’s not enough to just play guitar like that and be successful. The band needed to write good songs and then find a singer who could keep up with this new, chaotic sound. They managed to do exactly that with David Lee Roth, who wasn’t just a fantastic singer but had an infectious energy about him and could easily keep up as a frontman.
Creative differences got in the way of the band a little bit and David Lee Roth wound up leaving in 1985, and so once again, Van Helen were left scratching their heads wondering who they could possibly get to front the band. The answer lies in Sammy Hagar, who was introduced to Eddie Van Halen through his mechanic. Hagar wasn’t just a good replacement, but he also ushered in a new era of Van Halen.
No matter what kind of music Eddie Van Halen was throwing at Sammy Hagar, Hagar could run with it. The two of them bounced off one another, and the people who thought the band would collapse without David Lee Roth were proven wrong.
“What I brought to Van Halen was just who and what I am,” said Hagar, “It was Sammy Hagar, who and what I was at that moment, but very inspired by Eddie Van Halen’s musicianship… He inspired me to write songs… Goosebump songs.”
Because of both of their places at the front of Van Halen, there was naturally a tension between both Roth and Hagar. Usually, this doesn’t manifest as anything more than some choice words in interviews and general backhandedness; however, there was a moment when this friction became a real issue, and that was when Van Halen were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2007, it was confirmed that the band would be receiving one of the highest honours in music, and as is standard at these ceremonies, people expected Van Halen to perform. It raised the question of which singer was going to take to the mic.
“It was like: ‘Oh shit. What’s gonna happen here?’ It was supposed to be a very special moment in all our lives,” said Hagar, “We needed to get together, throw all our differences out of the window and play the performances of our career. It didn’t happen.”
Alex and Eddie Van Halen opted not to bother attending the ceremony. Granted, Eddie was in rehab at the time, but the potential tension between the band members will have also played a big part in their decision to avoid the show. Hagar didn’t want the night to pass him by, and so, in lieu of his bandmates, he was happy for another band to perform on their behalf. This came in the form of Velvet Revolver, who went on stage and covered ‘Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love’.
“You know what?” Said Hagar, “I abandoned all my idealism and vowed simply to enjoy the hell out of the moment. It was a wonderful experience. Keith Richards sat in the front row and gave me the thumbs-up; I had tears in my eyes and goose bumps on my arms.”
