SAMMY HAGAR: Why I Would Never Start Non-Music-Related Business With MICHAEL ANTHONY

In a recent interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", Sammy Hagar, who has become a successful entrepreneur, was asked if he would ever get into business with his THE CIRCLE and VAN HALEN bandmate Michael Anthony outside of music. The 75-year-old rocker responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I would never get into business with Mike outside of music because it could possibly ruin our relationship — what we do as entertainers and as artists and recording artists.

"There's something about business that — as much as I love family members, and I say the only people I can trust in the world a hundred percent is family, the business world can get ugly," Hagar — who founded the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand and restaurant chain, as well as Sammy's Beach Bar Rum — explained. "There's a power game to business that some people thrive on. And I hate it — I that part of business. People try to outdo each other or people try to put other people out of business. You build a Longs drugstore and right across the street they put a CVS and then across the street over there they put a Pharmaco. You come out with a new product in the spirits industry, and everybody copies you and they act like theirs is better and they did it first and all this stuff. That part of business I don't like. For some reason, rock and roll has less of that. So Mikey and I have such a great relationship on stage [that we keep our business stuff separate]. I promote his brands and he promotes my brands — for each other. But if we had one brand that we created together, it could end up into, 'That was my idea.' 'No, it's my idea.' … That shit happens, believe it or not, even with grown, wealthy men.

"So, I prefer to let Mikey do his hot sauce and I'll help him promote it," Sammy added. "I love the stuff. First of all, he's a pepper head. This guy could eat five habaneros right in a row. He grills 'em, puts salt and lime on 'em and eats 'em right off the stem… We call him Iron Mike. He's all good to go."

Concluding, Hagar reiterated: "No business together. We're in business already."

Back in 2014, Sammy told the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE that Michael was his "favorite guy to party with." He added: "I like to play music with him, I like to drink with him, I like to eat tacos and hot sauce with him, and I like to just hang out and drive cars with him. It's, like, no matter what I wanna do, or what he wants to do, both of us are willing to do it. It's, like, 'Hey, you feel like going to eat some tacos?' 'Yeah, let's go.' 'Hey, let's go drive some cars.' 'Yeah, let's go.' We have everything in common. And so he's my favorite guy to hang with. So being on the road with him is just a joy. And being on stage with him is just a joy. He's just upbeat, positive all the time. I love the guy."

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Hagar said that Eddie Van Halen was "jealous" of the friendship Sammy had with Michael. He said: "Mikey is like my brother from another mother. So much so that back in the early VAN HALEN days, Eddie would get all jealous. Mike and I would get into these soulful conversations for hours, and Eddie would be on the outside looking in. Even in the early days, Eddie would say, 'Hey, I wanna hang out like you and Mike do.' And I was like, 'Cool, man. Let's do it. So, what's the problem?'… I guess Mike and I are cut from the same cloth. Eddie hated it, would get mad on stage, and called it stupid, but we had our inside lingo and were always very close."

THE CIRCLE's latest album, "Crazy Times", came out in September. The LP debuted at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Albums chart, Sammy's second top 10 in the last four years.