The rivalry between Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth has been a long-running saga, starting from the moment Hagar joined Van Halen. It’s played out both between the two legendary frontmen and among the band’s passionate fanbase.
Many fans view the David Lee Roth era as the definitive chapter in Van Halen’s history, thanks to the groundbreaking music and Roth’s electrifying stage presence. Others argue that the “Van Hagar” era deserves just as much credit, pointing to Hagar’s powerful vocals, the strong band chemistry, and the fact that his arrival helped revitalize the group in the mid-1980s.
True to their showman roots, both singers leaned into the rivalry—whether real or hyped—for the entertainment of fans, most memorably during their early 2000s “Sans Halen” co-headlining tour.
Sammy Hagar shared his honest opinion of David Lee Roth, saying he always felt something about Roth seemed fake. At the time, fans would’ve attacked him for saying that, but Hagar noted even Eddie Van Halen and others in the band disliked Roth after he left.
Hagar called Roth a great showman, comparing him to Liberace. But he criticized his lack of musical substance, especially given Eddie’s genius. He clarified he doesn’t like or dislike Roth, they toured together,but sees him more as a performer than a true musician.
“I wasn’t buying it. There was something that was fake about him. I know, the old Van Halen fans, had I said that in the beginning, would have crucified me. But he was the enemy. Eddie, they all hated Dave at that point. You know, ‘He quit the band! He left us high and dry! Now, Sammy’s our hero…'”
He added:
“It’s such a mess, now I feel confident in saying he was a showman, period. Liberace was a great showman, but he could play piano… But dude, it’s Van Halen. This is music, real music. You know, Eddie, one of the greatest genius musicians in rock ever, and if you’re going to sing to that stuff, you should put something in there [laughs]. I’m not jealous, [I don’t] dislike the guy. I don’t like him; I don’t dislike him. I was around him. He toured with me. We did the Sam and Dave tour, and we went out for a while.”
“In his day, he was a great showman. The early Van Halen stuff, he really helped show Eddie to the world, with his antics. He got attention. And then they went, ‘Who’s that guitar player?’ [laughs]”
“You know, let me say something good about those early songs. [They] were great lyrically, even as silly as ‘Jump’ is, it’s right on the money. When I heard that song on the radio, I went, ‘Damn, those guys did it again.'”
