SAMMY HAGAR: As Far As I'm Concerned, EDDIE VAN HALEN Owes Me An Apology

June 6, 2012

On June 2, legendary rocker Sammy Hagar (VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT) was interviewed by the "publishing queen of rock and roll" Sally Steele, Vegas Rocks! Magazine's founder/CEO, in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can now watch the chat below.

On his relationship with the members of VAN HALEN:

Sammy: "I could get along with Alex [Van Halen, drums]. I got along at one time with Eddie [Van Halen, guitar] amazingly. Obviously, Mike [Anthony, former VAN HALEN bassist who currently plays with Sammy in CHICKENFOOT] and I are dearest friends on the planet. But Ed and I… he turned on me. I don't even wanna go into it. It's in the book. I said it. It was a horrible, horrible ending to a beautiful, beautiful story. And I'm still disappointed that they have not reached out to be friends — especially Alex, because Alex and I didn't have a problem. But, of course, he sides with his brother, and I understand that. But I can not like somebody, but I can like a friend of theirs, and vice versa. But it doesn't really matter to me. CHICKENFOOT just totally felt right from the day we did it, and it feels so much like early VAN HALEN, when I was in the band at the beginning. And I've gotta tell you: Joe Satriani [guitar], Mike and Chad [Smith, drums] and Kenny [Aronoff, stand-in drummer] — all of them — they satisfy every musical need I have. I am not hungry for any reunion, I am not hungry for any other band, and I am completely in love with CHICKENFOOT. If it wasn't for that, I'd be bummed about the VAN HALEN situation. But because of that, it doesn't bother me whatsoever."

On whether he can ever see himself patching things up with Eddie:

Sammy: "I can't see why we wouldn't and I can't see why we shouldn't. But I don't know. It's not my goal, I'm not out there wasting energy on that. As far as I'm concerned, he owes me an apology. As far as I'm concerned, if he wanted to be friends, he should reach back out to me, because what happened on that reunion tour in '04 was some of the most miserable, back-stabbing, dark crap I've ever been involved with my whole life and I would never go through that again with anybody or for any amount of money or any amount of fame and fortune or nothing. So until he comes around and says, 'Dude, I'm sorry. I was an asshole. I was wrong. And I wanna be friends again.' I would be there in a second — all forgiveness, just like that. But for me to reach out would be stupid. He'd probably say, 'Yeah, what?! You wanna get back in the band. Hey, fuck you, buddy.' That's probably what would happen. And I'm not interested in all that. Plus I don't wanna be back in that band. I love CHICKENFOOT. . . I love where I am now. I am in a perfect place. I couldn't ask for anything more in life — fame, fortune, love, my children, my family, my friends… I said it last night, I am the luckiest guy in the world.. Luckiest guy in rock, that's for damn sure. Except for Michael Anthony. [laughs]"

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