Sammy Hagar's Final Regret And The Van Halen Legacy Feud: 5 Shocking New Revelations

The relationship between Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen was a legendary, tumultuous saga that defined a generation of rock music. In the years following Eddie Van Halen’s tragic passing in 2020, the "Red Rocker" has provided a steady stream of emotional, candid, and sometimes explosive updates on his former bandmate’s genius, their final reconciliation, and the ongoing, bitter feud with the rest of the Van Halen family. As of late 2024, Hagar is ensuring Eddie’s music lives on, even as he battles to preserve the legacy of the "Van Hagar" era.

Hagar’s recent interviews and his highly anticipated 2024/2025 "The Best of All Worlds" tour—a direct tribute to the music he and Eddie created—have brought five major revelations to light, painting a complex picture of love, regret, and a fierce determination to honor a musical genius. The story is not just about a band; it’s about a broken brotherhood and the immortal sound of an era.

The Red Rocker’s Profile and The Van Halen Timeline

Sammy Hagar (The Red Rocker) Biography:

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• Full Name: Samuel Roy Hagar
• Born: October 13, 1947 (Age 78 in 2025)
• Birthplace: Salinas, California, U.S.
• Primary Career: Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Entrepreneur (Cabo Wabo Tequila, Sammy's Beach Bar Rum)
• Notable Bands: Montrose (1973–1974), Solo Career (1975–Present), Van Halen (1985–1996, 2003–2005), Chickenfoot (2008–Present), The Circle (2014–Present)
• Van Halen Era Nickname: Van Hagar
• Key Van Halen Albums: 5150 (1986), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), Balance (1995)
• Relationship with Eddie Van Halen: Close friends and songwriting partners (1985-1996); estranged (1996-2003); reunited (2003-2005); estranged (2005-2020); reconciled shortly before Eddie’s death.

Eddie Van Halen (EVH) Biography:

• Full Name: Edward Lodewijk Van Halen
• Born: January 26, 1955
• Died: October 6, 2020 (Age 65)
• Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Primary Career: Musician, Songwriter, Guitarist (widely considered one of the greatest of all time)
• Notable Bands: Van Halen (1972–2020)
• Key Innovations: The "Brown Sound," extensive use of the tremolo bar, two-handed tapping technique.

1. The Final, Emotional Reconciliation: "What Took You So Long?"

The deepest emotional scar for Hagar was the years of silence with Eddie Van Halen following their tumultuous second split in 2005. The two rock legends were estranged until just months before Eddie’s death in October 2020.

Hagar has detailed the powerful moment of their reconciliation, which was facilitated by a mutual friend. Despite years of public feuding and private resentment, Hagar reached out with a heartfelt text message. When he finally called Eddie, the guitarist’s response was simple and immediate: “What took you so long?”

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This final conversation was critical for Hagar, who has stated that if Eddie had passed without the reconciliation, he would have thought about it forever. The exchange allowed Hagar to tell Eddie "I love you" and close the chapter of their relationship with peace, cementing the idea that, despite the drama, their bond was one of a true, albeit complicated, brotherhood.

2. The "Blasphemy" Feud with Alex Van Halen Over Eddie's Legacy

While Hagar found peace with Eddie, his relationship with drummer Alex Van Halen remains broken. This feud intensified significantly in 2024 following the release of Alex Van Halen's memoir, Brothers.

Hagar publicly slammed the book for completely omitting the entire "Van Hagar" era—the period from 1986 to 1996, which produced four multi-platinum albums including 5150 and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

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The Red Rocker called the omission "blasphemy" to Eddie’s musical legacy. Hagar argues that by ignoring the decade of work that he and Eddie created with Michael Anthony, Alex is not giving his brother Edward’s musical accomplishments the justice they deserve. Hagar and Alex have not spoken in over 20 years, a silence Hagar attributes, in part, to Alex being "angry" about Hagar's ongoing success and tribute efforts.

3. The Best of All Worlds Tour: An Unofficial Van Halen Tribute

In a direct response to the lack of a formal Van Halen tribute and the ongoing family friction, Sammy Hagar launched "The Best of All Worlds" tour, scheduled for 2024 and extending into 2025 and 2026.

The tour features Hagar and longtime Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, alongside guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham).

Hagar promises a "Van Halen-heavy setlist," focusing on the music from the "Van Hagar" era, but also touching on the David Lee Roth era and the members’ other projects (Montrose, Chickenfoot, Led Zeppelin). While not officially sanctioned by the Van Halen estate, Hagar sees it as the most authentic way to keep Eddie’s music alive, stating that the show is a genuine celebration of the music he and Eddie wrote together. The tour is a powerful declaration that the music is bigger than the internal band disputes.

4. Hagar's Regret and Eddie's "Lost Years" of Genius

Hagar has repeatedly reflected on their final, troubled reunion tour in 2004, expressing a profound regret. He wishes he had known the full extent of Eddie Van Halen's personal battles with alcohol and drugs during that time. Hagar stated that he would have handled things differently if he had understood the depth of Eddie's struggles, suggesting a deep empathy for his friend's pain.

Furthermore, Hagar has spoken about what he calls Eddie’s "lost years"—the period when Eddie stopped writing new music. Hagar claims that their partnership pushed Eddie to be a better musician, forcing him to experiment with keyboards and different songwriting structures that he might not have explored otherwise. Hagar believes that the best of their songwriting was yet to come, as Eddie was "reaching out on instruments" in their final conversations, indicating a new phase of musical exploration.

5. The Immortal Songwriter and the Shared Dream

Beyond the feuds and the tours, Hagar consistently speaks of Eddie Van Halen as an "immortal" genius. He emphasizes that the music they created is a beautiful and lasting legacy that lives forever, regardless of who is performing it or who is fighting over its history.

In a particularly poignant revelation, Hagar claimed that Eddie Van Halen visited him in a dream. This dream was so vivid that it inspired a new song, leading Hagar to share a songwriting credit with the late guitarist on his track, "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight." This act solidifies Hagar's commitment to honoring Eddie not just as a bandmate, but as a songwriting partner whose presence, even in spirit, continues to inspire new music.

The story of Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen is far from over. With the "Best of All Worlds" tour dominating arenas and the public dispute with Alex Van Halen continuing, Hagar has taken on the mantle of preserving the full, complicated history of Van Halen. His mission is clear: ensure that the genius of Eddie Van Halen—the guitarist, the songwriter, and the friend—is celebrated in its entirety, without being censored or forgotten.

Key Entities and Topics for Further Reading:

• Michael Anthony (Bassist)
• Joe Satriani (Guitarist, The Best of All Worlds)
• Jason Bonham (Drummer, The Best of All Worlds)
• Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie's Son, Mammoth WVH)
• David Lee Roth (Original Van Halen Vocalist)
• Brothers (Alex Van Halen's Memoir)
• Van Halen Albums: 5150, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Balance
• The "Brown Sound" (Eddie Van Halen's signature guitar tone)