SAMMY HAGAR: 'I'm Not Interested In Doing Things Just For Money'

Legendary rocker Sammy Hagar told Fox News' Neil Cavuto in a new interview that his music and business accomplishments have exceeded his wildest dreams.

"I've had so many dreams that I never dreamt, you know, come true," he said. "I, of course, all I really dreamt about was someday being a rock star, rich and famous guy, you know, and being able to take care of my mother and my family well, have a beautiful home, beautiful cars. That was it. You know, a gold record maybe on the wall."

The former VAN HALEN frontman went on to say that he's made his decisions without putting too much emphasis on the commercial aspect.

"My gut is really what guides me," he said. "If I feel something's right, I do it. If I don't, I don't do it. I'm not interested in doing things just for money. And I think that's part of the success. I'm passionate about what I choose to do with my time, especially at my age now. I'm going, 'How much time do I have to live?' I wrote a song called 'Father Time'; it's on my latest record, 'Crazy Times'. And it's all about that: how much time do I have left? I need to do things that are important to me now. I'm not success-, money-, fame-and-fortune-driven. Now I'm driven by things that I've never done that I wanna do."

In "Sammy Hagar's Paradise", Fox Nation and TMZ unite to deliver exclusive access to Hagar's 75th birthday bash while chronicling his success as a singer and businessman. The TMZ special, available for streaming on Fox Nation, covers Hagar's childhood, which included growing up in poverty, dealing with an abusive father and more.

This past November, Hagar admitted that he was thinking about how he will eventually retire from performing live.

The musician, whose raspy, soulful voice has been one of the most recognizable sounds in hard rock, from his early hits as a member of MONTROSE and a solo artist to his multi-platinum run as VAN HALEN's frontman in the 1980s and 1990s, discussed his plans for a possible retirement from the road during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "I've thought about it long and hard. And that's one of the reasons why I don't want to go out and tour too much next year, because it could be the last one, and I don't really know. My thing is I would never — I'm saying never say never. Well, right now I'm gonna say I will never announce a farewell tour, go do a big, long tour and then keep going and keep going, like all these other people do. It makes me sick to do that. I would rather not say nothing and just… when I do my last show, it's my last show. I might say it then, but I'd rather not make no pre-announcement, in case I wanna keep going.

"I'm so glad you asked that question. It's been on my mind real hard," he continued. "How do you go out? Do you just go away? I don't know. I'm too public of a figure and I have too many businesses and things to where I can't just go away; somebody's gonna catch me somewhere. They're gonna say, 'What are you doing?' So it seems like I almost have to make an announcement, but I'm not solid with that yet, and it's not time yet. But I am thinking that way. How am I gonna do it when it's time? And I don't know. I'd rather just say one show, 'You know what? That's the last show. I'm done. I can't do it anymore.' I'd rather just say that."

When host Eddie Trunk asked Hagar to confirm that he will not do any "money-grab" farewell tours, Sammy responded: "The day I do something just strictly for money at this stage of my life, you can call me a greedy piece of shit. I do not need money, and it's not why I do things. I don't blame some people for doing things for money — you have to; you've gotta make a living, for god's sakes — but I don't have to. So at this stage of my life, no money grabs."

Hagar's second studio album with his Billboard chart-topping supergroup THE CIRCLE, "Crazy Times", was released in September via Ume. The LP found Hagar, fellow Hall Of Famer and VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, Grammy-winning drummer Jason Bonham and Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Vic Johnson traveling to Nashville to record the album with eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb at Nashville's historic RCA Studio A. The follow-up to their much-lauded debut "Space Between", a multi-category No. 1 Billboard-charting album, includes 10 songs, nine of which Hagar wrote or co-wrote, along with a notable cover, "Pump It Up", a 1978 song by Elvis Costello and THE ATTRACTIONS. The song "Crazy Times" was written by the whole band along with Dave Cobb and recorded live.

For more than five decades, Hagar has been recognized as one of the best and most accomplished lead singers and songwriters in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band MONTROSE, to his multi-platinum solo career, to his ride as the frontman of VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT and his latest best-selling supergroup, THE CIRCLE, Hagar has amassed 25 platinum albums on sales surpassing 50 million worldwide. Along his journey, he has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written with songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Right Now" and "Why Can't This Be Love", and earned the highest respect of the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Since launching his flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, he's turned a lifelong passion for great food, music and spirits into a thriving and iconic lifestyle brand. A pioneer in the spirits industry, Hagar's development and nine-figure sale of his Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari in 2008 is widely credited as the start of the celebrity-owned spirits trend. His portfolio of spirits now includes Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, Santo Tequila and Sammy's Beach Bar Cocktail Co., as well as several restaurants. Never one to hit the brakes, he's also found success in publishing, TV, radio and beyond, including five seasons of his hit TV show "Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar" and as host of "Sammy Hagar's Top Rock Countdown", his syndicated radio show that's broadcast on over 90 U.S. stations. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, a dedicated philanthropist and since January 5, 2022, the first Honorary Ambassador to Los Cabos, an honor he was bestowed in recognition of his longtime investment in the people and economy of Mexico.

Photo credit: Leah Steiger