Sammy Hagar has responded to comments made by Wolfgang Van Halen regarding his era as Van Halen’s frontman.
Wolfgang Van Halen recently addressed the long-running debate over which singer era of the band was better, noting the musical contributions Hagar brought during his time in the group. He explained how Hagar’s presence allowed his father, Eddie Van Halen, to explore a more melodic songwriting style.
“To delve into the exhausting argument of which singer is better. I’m kind of of the mind where there’s positives in everything,” Wolfgang said. “And, you know, if you hate one side or the other, it’s like, hey, you know, the same guy wrote the stuff. You can really find stuff to appreciate. And I really appreciate the melodic addition that Sammy added to the band with this music. I think it allowed my dad to explore a more melodic style of songwriting. And there’s great stuff on here on ‘The Collection II’.”
Hagar responded to Wolfgang’s remarks, agreeing with the sentiment. He emphasized that the conversation was never about competing eras, but about Eddie Van Halen’s growth as a musician.
“Truth. This is not about taking sides,” Hagar said. “This is about Eddie Van Halen growing as a musician, songwriting artist. We all know he was already there as a guitarist before I joined the band.”
This exchange arrives amid a broader wave of renewed attention on Hagar’s complicated history within the Van Halen camp, one that has recently played out in far less amicable terms with another family member.
Alex Van Halen reignited a long-simmering feud with Hagar earlier this month. He called his former bandmate a “complete idiot” and dismissed Hagar’s 2011 memoir, “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock.” Hagar chose not to escalate the situation. He called the drummer’s comment “so unnecessary at this time in our lives” and added, “Peace already.”
Despite the tension, Hagar has continued to express interest in revisiting unfinished business from his Van Halen years. He has said he would be open to working on any unreleased Eddie Van Halen material if the opportunity arose.
“I would love to write a song with Eddie again,” Hagar said. The comment underscores the creative bond he still feels toward his former bandmate, despite the friction with other members of the Van Halen family.
The Wolfgang-referenced “Collection II” was released by Warner Records in October 2023. It is the fourth Van Halen compilation album, dedicated specifically to the Hagar era of the band. The album spotlights the very melodic evolution Wolfgang credited Hagar with helping inspire.
Together, these developments paint a fuller picture of where things currently stand between Hagar and the Van Halen camp: warm collaborative respect from Wolfgang, open creative willingness from Hagar himself, and a still-unresolved rift with Alex that continues to surface publicly.
