Sammy Hagar: 'It's Not My Job' to Plan Eddie Van Halen Tribute

Sammy Hagar has expressed his continued frustration that a tribute concert honoring Eddie Van Halen has not taken place.

“I’m so disappointed how they’ve handled everything, including when I left the band and what they did,” the Red Rocker declared during a recent interview on the Rock of Nations podcast. “The dysfunction in that band -- when I was in the band the first 9 years, we got along like freaking brothers and sisters. And we were happy together. One big family. Things went wrong. Drugs and alcohol are a bad thing when it turns ugly. It’s just never been the same.”

According to Hagar, that “dysfunction” is the primary reason a much-discussed tribute concert for Eddie Van Halen never came to fruition.

“For them not to have done something for Eddie Van Halen, the greatest guitar player in the world, on the planet. Greatest rock musician, I’m telling ya. It’s ugly,” Hagar bemoaned, “but it’s not my job.”

Sammy Hagar Continues Honoring Van Halen With the Circle

Though his last run with Van Halen ended nearly 20 years ago, Hagar continues honoring the band when he performs with his current group, the Circle. The Red Rocker – along with fellow Van Halen alumnus Michael Anthony – makes sure plenty of their former band’s material is featured in their set lists.

“Mike and I are doing our thing,” Hagar noted. “I don’t know how much longer I can sing [Van Halen] songs and sing my own songs and jump around on stage and do a great performance, so as long as I can do it, I gotta keep doing it.”

“I think we just keep adding more Van Halen songs to the set,” Hagar continued with a chuckle. “We’re serving the Van Halen stuff up pretty good.”