Hagar on Van Halen: Let’s just be friends

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

Red Rocker Sammy explains first contact with guitarist Eddie in more than a decade

Sammy Hagar says he recently contacted Eddie Van Halen for the first time in more than a decade in an effort to re-establish a friendship with his former bandmate on his 61st birthday.

Hagar surprised Van Halen fans last month with a tweet to the guitar icon, saying: “Happy Birthday Eddie – hope you’re doing good.”

The guitarist replied: “Thanks Sammy. Hope you’re well too.”

The Red Rocker explains he was inspired to contact Van Halen after the recent deaths of Lemmy, David Bowie and Glenn Frey.

Hagar tells CRR (via K-She-95): “It just makes you stop and think that with my relationship with Eddie Van Halen and stuff that’s always been in the toilet, it makes you say, ‘I don’t want to be buried with any regrets or bad vibes like that.’

“It makes you want to be just friends with everybody and say, ‘Hey, look, forget it.’ Even if you don’t want to be in a band together, just let’s be friends. No more enemies for me. You don’t want to go to your grave with enemies.”

Hagar last performed with Van Halen as part of a 2004 reunion tour in support of a greatest hits compilation.