Why Sammy Hagar “never had a lot of respect” for David Lee Roth
Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth may have fronted Van Halen at different times, but each embodied contrasting aspects of the traditional rock vocalist. Hagar was the down-to-earth frontman, focused purely on making great music, while Roth epitomised the flamboyant showman, with his lycra-clad antics representing the most outlandish form of singer in his era and beyond.
Hagar made his name as the frontman of hard rock heroes Montrose in the early 1970s, who Van Halen looked up to. An American version of the likes of Robert Plant and Eric Clapton, he developed his sound in the mould of the classic rock era’s brightest lights. In doing so, he produced an earthy sound that earned him much success, which he continued with his ensuing solo career.
After a Ferrari mechanic directed him their way, Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985 to soothe the acrimonious departure of David Lee Roth, which stemmed from a creative and personal schism. Roth wanted to maintain the band’s soaring popularity with superficial songs about partying, women, and sex, similar to Aerosmith and was indifferent to whether they were original or covers. Conversely, the group’s creative force, guitar pioneer Eddie Van Halen, yearned for something more substantial: darker, minor-key tracks reminiscent of their 1981 metal classic, Fair Warning.
Ironically, their final album together during this period, 1984, was a tremendous success. It produced some of their biggest hits, such as ‘Jump’ and ‘Hot for Teacher’, edging them closer to the pure pop realm. In 1985, Roth, who was still in Van Halen, released his pop EP Crazy from the Heat and, before too long, departed, taking most of the group’s staff with him.
Luckily for Van Halen, Hagar, who had charted a wildly different path before, accepted their invitation to join in 1985 and stayed until 1996, during which they released four US number-one albums. Initially, Hagar was sceptical, as the closest he could come to flamboyance was akin to Mick Jagger, which simply wasn’t his style. However, his first rehearsal with the band quickly dispelled any doubts. The group, like excited children, were blown away by each other’s talents, allowing them to put their past behind and move forward together.
The real reason Hagar departed Van Halen is shrouded in mystery. Still, he states that much of it was due to creative direction and the dictatorial character of the band’s new manager, Ray Danniels. However, band members and their families’ health have also cropped up as factors.
In one of the stranger musical moments of 2002, Hagar and Roth embarked on the Sam and Dave tour—a commercially successful venture that surprised everyone, given it was accomplished outside the leviathan of Van Halen. For Hagar, however, it confirmed what he had always known: he and Roth are entirely different people. Hagar initially believed it would be a fun experience, but it turned out otherwise. He later described Roth as pompous and demanding, underscoring their fundamental differences.
Due to the mess Van Halen became after his departure and the Sam and Dave tour, Hagar is now confident enough to speak publicly about what he thought of the band before he joined and of the frontman he replaced. He told AXS TV: “I never really had a lot of respect for Dave, I mean, he was a good frontman of that style, but that wasn’t anything I ever wanted to be.”
He also claimed he didn’t necessarily like the band before – outside of Eddies’ guitar playing – and certainly wasn’t a fan of their ornamental, spandex-heavy image. Unsurprisingly, he refused to perform the Roth Van Halen songs during his tenure.
Revealing what he thought about Roth then, he continued: “To me, I wasn’t buying it. There was something that was fake about him. I know the old Van Halen fans would, if I’d have said that in the beginning, have crucified me, but he was the enemy. They all hated Dave at that point.”
Adding: “He was a showman period. Liberace was a great showman, but he could play piano.”
It was a case of substance for Hagar. While he openly thinks the early Van Halen songs were great, Roth lacked any tangible artistic weight moving forward. He played with one of the best guitarists in history, who deserved much more than what he gave him after their first couple of releases. It was precisely the kind of pompous rock that Hagar had always despised.
