In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Jason Bonham has shared his disappointment about being forced to leave Sammy Hagar’s band.
The drummer earlier revealed that it wasn’t his decision to leave the band, and now more recently, he explained how the whole thing came about. “Sammy rang me awhile ago. He was asking about my mom, but then he said, ‘Y’know, I’m not gonna do much next year,’ blah, blah blah, ‘and I’m gonna go with Kenny.’ I was a little shocked, I must say. I’d be lying to you if I wasn’t a little sad, because we were on fire at the end of the tour. And I got a little upset. That was strange, after 10 years of being with him.”
However, this decision didn’t cause any hard feelings. “Listen, I love the guy to bits. I don’t wish him any ill. I still speak to him. Honestly, the guy has taught me so much – about business, being positive. I’m an English guy; I can be really negative half the time. Even if the sun is shining, ‘but it could rain.’ He really helped me in that aspect big-time, and business sense and never taking no for an answer, always believing in yourself.”
Bonham’s comments came around the same time Hagar reacted to the drummer’s ongoing gigs with JBLZE. Bonham posted a video from one of his recent shows on Instagram. Hagar commented, “Congratulations getting back in that Zep groove I’m sure comes natural my brother.”
Fans weren’t happy with Hagar’s response. One user replied to Hagar’s comment: “Your brother that you kicked out of your band?” Another fan commented, “Sit down.”
After Bonham left the band, Kenny Aronoff took his place. Aronoff first joined the band at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati on August 27. During the show, Hagar dedicated the performance to Bonham and his family. The band played a set filled with Van Halen songs that night.
