Over the weekend, singer Sammy Hagar responded to several claims made by Eddie Van Halen in a high-profile new Billboard interview.
Hagar was particularly upset about Van Halen’s statements concerning former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony.
In the interview, the guitarist said of Anthony, “I had to show him how to play.” He also claims Anthony would video the sessions to help him remember what he’d been shown.
Van Halen criticized Anthony’s singing, telling Billboard, “He’s not a singer. He just has a range from hell. I have more soul as a singer than he does. And you know, people always talk about Mike’s voice on Van Halen songs, but that’s a blend of Mike’s voice and my voice.”
Hagar responded to those comments with venom—as seen in the video below.
“For Eddie to say he had to show him what to play and had to teach him all those songs, that is the biggest line of bullshit I’ve ever heard in my life. I was in that band for 11 years. There was never a video camera involved of Eddie showing him what to play.
“Eddie would tell him what to play once in a while. ‘No, Mike, don’t play that many notes. Just stay on one note so that I can fuck up and nobody will know it.’ ”
Hagar says that was especially true on the group’s 2004 reunion tour. “If Mike would have played any more than one note, it would have been showing that Eddie wasn’t playing the right chords, again and again and again.”
“Michael Anthony is a bad motherfucker. Fuck you, Eddie Van Halen, for saying that about Mikey. You’re a liar.”
“I said, ‘We’re going to reinvent the notion of the extended classic rock solo. This is going to be the “not Comfortably Numb” solo’”: Steven Wilson bringing back the long guitar solo – with a twist
“The solo he takes on that is one of the most perfectly crafted guitar solos ever. He's one of those players you can recognize right away. It's that distinct”: Grace Bowers names her favorite guitar player of all time
