Sammy Hagar admits he would have reconnected with Eddie Van Halen sooner if he’d known the extent of the guitarist’s health woes.
During an interview with AZ Central, Hagar reflected upon his last tour with Van Halen. The 2004 trek was plagued by tension between the frontman and guitarist, largely due to Eddie’s substance abuse. At the last tour stop, the guitar god reportedly lay down on stage and apologized to fans for being “outta gas.”
“Eddie kind of lost it out there,” the Red Rocker recalled. “I mean, he was in bad shape the whole tour. Not trying to bring up a sore subject, but he was not healthy and was very abusive to himself.”
Hagar remembered being dejected during the plane ride following the last stop on the tour. “I just sat there, shaking my head, going, ‘God, that was a terrible experience.’”
Hagar Would Have ‘Tried Even Harder’ if He’d Known More About Eddie’s Health
Though the singer was “disappointed” and “hurt” following his final Van Halen trek, hindsight has softened his perspective. Now, Hagar simply wishes he’d had a better understanding of exactly what Eddie was dealing with at the time — both in terms of his alcoholism and his battle with cancer.
READ MORE: All 48 Sammy Hagar-Era Van Halen Songs Ranked Worst to Best
“No one knew quite what was going on with the guy,” the frontman explained. “Now we know. And it’s a little bit easier to understand his frustrations and probably why he was turning to alcohol and drugs more than ever. He knew things that we didn’t know, I guess, or was feeling things we didn’t know. God bless him.”
“I almost wish I would’ve known a little more about what was going on with him,” the Red Rocker confessed. “I would’ve probably tried even harder. I tried as hard as I could to connect us and get him on the good foot and get him healthy. But I would’ve maybe tried a little harder, maybe been a little more compassionate, instead of saying ‘Fuck it.'”
Hagar and Van Halen Shared ‘Emotional Moments’ When They Reconnected in 2020
Hagar and Eddie managed to reconnect in 2020, months before the guitar great died. Though the Red Rocker wishes they had made up sooner, he’s grateful that the former bandmates were able to revive their friendship.
READ MORE: How Sammy Hagar Made Peace With Eddie Van Halen Before His Death
“We had some really emotional moments on the phone, being very happy to be friends again,” the singer admitted. ‘For me, I can only speak for myself, it was so important that we had closure before he passed, because otherwise, I don’t know how I’d feel about it. I’d be waking up in the middle of the night once in a while going ‘Man, I wish we could’ve fixed that.’ Now, I don’t have to do that. Now, I just go, ‘Hey, I miss Ed.’ I miss the music.”
Van Halen Lineup Changes
Three different singers and two different bassists joined the Van Halen brothers over the years.