Sammy Hagar is 77 years old and at that age, he can’t do a lot of things he used to be able to do. However, he’s not complaining and he loves aging.
“I love 99% of it, I really do,” he told PEOPLE. “There’s something about being a little bit complacent in your old age saying, ‘Nah, I already did that.’ ”
The rocker has had quite the career, too, as he’s had commercial success as a solo act and with groups, including Van Halen. He has also a published author and businessman.
“You make such better decisions in life. In my 40s, I spun more wheels. I spent more energy on [things] that I didn’t do than I do now on things that I do, and it’s just such a waste,” he continues.
“I wasted so much time and energy and money and things I could have done for other people. The older you get, I’m just more directed, so I don’t bite on things. I don’t waste people’s time.”
Hagar is set to celebrate his 30th anniversary with wife Kari next November and said that it’s “kind of cool being old,” attributing it to keeping things in motion. “I’m healthy. I’m still active. I still walk on the beach. I still work out. I still sing. I still run around and dance. I still chase my wife around the bedroom.”
Still, from a career standpoint, Hagar is aware that his on-stage days are numbered, admitting that retirement has “crept into my head for 10 years.”
“I get insecure in between shows, in between tours, and I think, ‘Gee, do I still have it? Can I really still do all that?’ And I get out there, and it’s like it’s riding a bike or having s*x,” he says.
“I’m going to retire when I can’t do this, when I can’t sing anymore… I’m not going to have people pay the kind of money that it costs to see these concerts these days and not deliver. So that’s where my retirement is. It’s in the hands of the higher being.”
Rest assured, however, exiting the stage isn’t happening anytime soon. On Monday, Nov. 25, Hagar announced a Las Vegas residency show, The Best of All Worlds, set to begin on April 30th, 2025 at Park MGM.
The residency will reunite Sammy with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Kenny Aronoff with a new “only in Vegas” setlist.
