Sammy Hagar ‘Disappointed’ Over Alex Van Halen Project

Sammy Hagar is not hiding his frustration.

In a new interview on the Rock of Nations radio show, the former Van Halen frontman said he is “disappointed” that neither he nor longtime Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony have been invited to participate in Alex Van Halen’s recently announced archival project — an album built around unfinished recordings featuring the late Eddie Van Halen.

“No. We haven’t been asked, number one,” Hagar said when asked directly about his involvement.

The project was revealed when Alex Van Halen confirmed in a Brazilian YouTube interview that he and Toto guitarist Steve Lukather are working to complete unreleased Van Halen material. The recordings, originally intended for what would have been the band’s next studio album, feature Alex on drums, Eddie on guitar, and Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. Eddie Van Halen died in October 2020 at age 65.

Alex described Lukather’s role as providing “connective tissues” on the musical side, while the search for a vocalist continues. Former Bad Company and Free singer Paul Rodgers was approached but declined. Previous Van Halen frontmen David Lee Roth, Hagar, and Gary Cherone were notably unmentioned in Alex’s announcement.

Hagar, who fronted Van Halen from 1985 to 1996 and again briefly in 2003–2005, pushed back on the idea that the vaults contain only material from other eras. He described a substantial volume of unreleased Hagar-era recordings that remain in the archives.

“I can tell you, Mike and I, the day I walked in the studio, in 5150, to basically if you wanna call it an audition, but to meet the guys and to play music, we played for about eight hours at least. And we recorded everything,” Hagar said. “Everything that I ever did, and every time we made a record, we recorded hundreds of hours of jam and music, and then we’d cut ’em up, made songs.”

He pointed out that three tracks from the band’s 1986 album 5150 — “Summer Nights,” “Good Enough,” and the beginnings of “Get Up” — emerged from that very first jam session alone.

“There’s so much stuff that Al could really choose from, if he wanted to include Mike and I,” Hagar said. “But, obviously, Al’s got a reason, and he’s Alex Van Halen, he can do whatever he wants.”

Anthony, who was also on the Rock of Nations broadcast, expressed willingness to contribute. “If this is material that we jammed on or whatever, I’d have no problem coming in and singing or playing bass or whatever. It’s all good there,” he said. Earlier in the week, Anthony had suggested the archival project might work best as an instrumental album.

Hagar was blunter in his closing assessment: “To me, it’s an Alex Van Halen project, and it’s not necessarily a Van Halen project. But I’m disappointed that Mike and I wouldn’t be invited. It’s, like, what? Are you kidding me? We’re still alive. We’re out here doing it. We’re playing those songs. We can still do it, you know?”

The tension between Hagar and Alex Van Halen is not new. The two have been estranged for years, dating back to at least the Van Halen reunion tour in 2004. Alex has previously said he was “not interested” in joining Hagar’s Best of All Worlds tour, stating that those performances were “not doing the band justice.”

For fans, the dispute underscores an unresolved split in one of rock’s most important legacies. The Hagar era produced four consecutive No. 1 albums. Whether that body of work is represented in any posthumous Van Halen release remains a key question.

Hagar and Anthony, along with guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff, and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, are set for a six-date Las Vegas residency of the Best of All Worlds tour beginning March 11 at Dolby Live at Park MGM.