Alex Van Halen took a swipe at Sammy Hagar during his latest interview with The Guardian. The drummer expressed that the spirit of Van Halen diminished after David Lee Roth’s departure, explaining why he concluded his new book, “Brothers,” in 1985. While the band achieved significant success with Hagar as the frontman, Hagar later published a critical book reflecting on his time with the group.
In response to Hagar’s complaints, Alex remarked, “‘Are you really that jealous of Ed? Are you really that scared of him?’ That’s how people act when they try to diminish somebody.” Notably, “Brothers” omits Hagar’s tenure with Van Halen from 1985 to 1996, as well as their three years with Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone. Alex previously told Billboard, “What happened after Dave left is not the same band. I’m not saying it was better or worse…But the magic was in the first years, when we didn’t know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything.”
Hagar has also voiced his frustration about being overlooked in the Van Halen legacy. Recently, he shared photos from Rock Hall rehearsals, stating, “Cool x Kool & the Gang at Rock Hall rehearsals. (Scroll) Gettin’ ready to celebrate and induct some old friends and legends tonight.” A fan pointed out that “Alex Van Halen doesn’t mention you once in his book,” to which Hagar responded.
In the same Billboard interview, Alex explained why he declined to join his former bandmates on The Best Of All Worlds tour this year, which is fronted by Hagar. He said, “I’m not interested. They’re not doing the band justice. They can do what they want to do. That’s not my business.”
Hagar, in an August interview with the Las Vegas Journal, revealed that he attempted to reach out to Alex multiple times before the tour was announced, stating, “I reached out to Alex a dozen times and got no response. I’ve asked him to meet me under any conditions, any circumstances, anytime, anyplace, anywhere. It’s not like, ‘Well, let me think about it.’ It’s like, no answer. Zero.”
Following Alex’s comments about other members not doing the band justice, many Van Halen fans took to social media to express their frustration, criticizing Alex and urging him to engage more with the legacy of the band.
