Sammy Hagar Does Not Want To Tour With David Lee Roth
What is going on in the wacky world of rock? Things are totally crazy: David Lee Roth has actually said, on record, that he would be willing to perform with Sammy Hagar. UPDATE: Sammy doesn’t want that to happen, and discussed it on social media.
To recap: Hagar recently announced that he and founding Van Halen bass player Michael Anthony would embark on the Best of All Words tour with Jason Bonham and Joe Satriani. The tour’s setlist, reportedly, will feature plenty of music from Hagar’s time as Van Halen’s lead vocalist.
He made the announcement in a recent interview. He said, “If Alex Van Halen wants to jump up, if David Lee Roth wants to come out and join us, come on, motherf—er. You are welcome. This is about Van Halen.”
David Lee Roth is Actually Willing to Perform with Sammy Hagar
Now, in a statement given to the Van Halen News Desk, Roth sounds willing, stating, “I’m ready to go. Let’s do this.” The Van Halen News Desk also claims to have “very good authority,” however, that so far, nobody from Hagar’s end has formally reached out to Roth with an offer to join them.
UPDATE: Hagar may have been a bit too vague with how he worded his initial comment. He has now clarified his comments. Sammy Hagar was asked by fans today in the comments of his latest IG post about DLR’s interest in participating in the 2024 Tour. Here’s what he wrote … 🤨 pic.twitter.com/8QMNdkzgvk
“He can come out and sing a song on a show or two,” Sammy said. He threw a bit of shade at his Van Halen predecessor: “If he can remember the words.” He told another fan: “I know better than to have him on tour again. Been there, done that.” That is a reference to when Roth and Hagar actually co-headlined a tour in 2002. By all accopunts, they did not get along.
The two vocalists have been at odds ever since Hagar replaced Roth as Van Halen’s lead vocalist in 1985. Hagar left the band in 1996 but did join up again for a short-lived 2004 tour. Roth eventually rejoined Van Halen and recorded two new songs with the band for a greatest hits compilation in 1996. He also returned to Van Halen in 2007 and they recorded a new album, A Different Kind of Truth, which was released in 2012. Roth stayed with the band until guitarist Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020.
Hagar and company will embark on the Best of All Worlds tour starting July 13 in West Palm Beach.