Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Samuel Roy "Sammy" Hagar, also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, musician and entrepreneur. Hagar came to prominence in the 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose. He afterwards launched a successful solo career, scoring an enduring hit in 1984 with "I Can't Drive 55". He enjoyed huge commercial success when he replaced David Lee Roth as the lead singer of Van Halen in 1985, but left the band in 1996. He returned to...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRock Singer
Date of Birth13 October 1947
CitySalinas, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I really think that Van Halen has two choices if they want to continue. And maybe they don't want to continue, because they don't seem to do much
That song ["Don't Tell Me"] didn't take us anywhere, and I know why now. It wasn't what Van Halen fans wanted. It showed the darkness of Van Halen, and basically the end of the band.
It took me a long time to put it to use in things, but the name of my publishing company is Nine Music, and "Red" became my theme song.
Everybody has weird dreams, but a usual weird dream is, okay, so your mom's driving a car and she's a dog.
I've always been into writing love songs.
The downloads, the licensing, commercials, radio - it's made me more money than any song I've ever written, and it only went to No. 26. It wasn't a big hit at all. But it's a career song ["I Can't Drive 55"].
I was really wanting to be a rock star. I was saying, "I am going to have a fancy car, I got to have fancy clothes, and I have got to play the whole role." Obviously, I meant business.
Ted Templeman, the producer, and Donn Landee, the engineer, are the same team that signed Van Halen, when they were called Mammoth. Donn convinced them to change it to the last name of the guitar player and drummer.
I had been in Africa for six weeks on a safari with my family. I said, "You know, I made a lot of money. I am getting kind of burned out. I really want to do something special." So I went on this extended trip to Egypt, Kenya, Sardinia - I really did it, man. I was coming home, and while I was gone, they changed the speed limit from 65 to 55.
I've always been kind of a speed demon.
I'm a songwriter. I've got ideas in the closet that just didn't work out with my band, that I think, "This is a great idea, it's just the wrong guys."
I would rather sing about my love affair or about a woman or to a woman than some guys any day.
I don't want to try to force anything, because I'm really happy with Chickenfoot; my new record with them is phenomenal.
I'm writing my biography. It's my business. This is what happened in my life, and I'm writing about it.