by Sammy Hagar recently reacted to David Lee Roth receiving criticism over his live performances. The singer said he sent a private message to Roth to give him some advice instead of criticizing him. The comments were made during an interview on Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.
Hagar expressed his desire to maintain a friendship with Roth and praised his commitment to performing for fans.
“Honestly, I would love to be friends with Dave. He is the wackiest guy. He would be a blast — in my opinion, he would be a blast to hang,” Hagar said. “Get on a boat and go cruising around in the islands or something with that guy and some of our friends and stuff.”
The Red Rocker emphasized their shared history and common ground through their time with Van Halen.
“We’ve got so much in common and so much history together, if you think about it. We both spent 10 years of our lives with Van Halen — Eddie and Alex Van Halen,” he continued. “Eddie Van Halen, right? I mean, we wrote songs with [Eddie]. There’s so much that we have in common. And we’re totally two different kinds of people, but that’s what makes it fun. The people around us would be having more fun.”
Hagar praised Roth’s dedication to performing and revealed the specific advice he shared privately.
“The guy’s got the balls to go out there and do it and do it for the fans. He’s not doing it for money. Dave’s got plenty of money, for God’s sakes. Nobody in Van Halen’s broke. And he’s doing it ’cause he loves it,” Hagar said. “And he looks like he’s having a good time. He’s got a pretty damn good band, there ain’t no question about that.”
He then detailed the private message he sent to Roth about incorporating background singers.
“And the smartest thing — I even told him this; I sent him a note about it when we had that little Instagram comment thing — I sent him a personal note and said, ‘Hey, smartest thing you ever do is get them background singers,’” Hagar explained. “Those choruses in Van Halen are the most important part besides of Eddie’s guitar playing, some of the most important parts of that music to those fans.”
Hagar concluded by emphasizing the importance of the vocal harmonies for fan engagement and his support for Roth.
“They love singing along to those songs. And you got those guys singing it, and they sound good singing it. And I think it was a good move. If he can’t do it, get somebody that can do it and just go out there and do your thing, whatever,” he said. “Anyway, I’m all cool with Dave. I just wanna make that straight and clear.”
These comments come amid a recent thaw in the relationship between the two Van Halen frontmen. They have had a complicated history spanning decades.
The Music Universe reported that Roth recently referenced Hagar’s claim that he had a dream where Eddie Van Halen’s ghost helped him write the song “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight.” During a live performance, Roth joked that Eddie’s ghost was laughing and teased that the song was actually Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” played backward.
Despite the playful jab, Roth called Hagar an “esteemed colleague” with a “great voice” and catalog. Blabbermouth noted that Hagar viewed this as a “real olive branch moment” between them after years of tension and public feuding.
The exchange represents a significant shift in their relationship. It has been marked by rivalry since Hagar replaced Roth as Van Halen’s lead singer in 1985. Both singers have maintained successful careers following their respective departures from the band. Each brought their own distinct style to Van Halen’s catalog.
Meanwhile, Sonic Perspectives revealed that Hagar continues to actively tour with his Best of All Worlds Band. He has a Las Vegas residency planned for 2026. The residency promises to feature a powerful setlist including deep cuts from his Van Halen era. This highlights his ongoing dedication to live performance and his legendary catalog.
