Ever since the release of his autobiography, “Brothers,” Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen has been making the press rounds singing the praises of his late sibling and also sharing why he didn’t acknowledge the band’s era with singer Sammy Hagar. The Van Halen story in “Brothers” ends in 1984 just prior to the Red Rocker’s arrival, and Alex makes just one fleeting mention of the years following the band’s classic lineup.
Earlier this month, Alex elaborated on why he didn’t include the Hagar years saying: “Because the original band was the band that was the driving force … After that, that’s why the book ends in 1984, because that was true rock and roll. After that, it became much more — I don’t know; I can’t explain it. But it’s not to say that it was not any good. We always did our best at whatever we were doing, but it wasn’t the same.”
Hagar previously responded to being left out. “Why he left me out, I would like to hear him explain that someday, because I don’t get it completely,” he said. “I know that he’s bitter about some things, whatever that is… It’s like, ‘If you don’t want that era, that even gives me more justification to say I own it then,’ because no one else can do it, and he can’t do it even without me. It makes it easier for Mike and I. We’re sitting there going, ‘Okay, I guess we own this,’ and we have the obligation to bring this to the fans to keep this music alive, keep it live and alive. This music is too good to throw away.”
Now in a response to a fan on Instagram, Hagar accuses Alex of committing “blasphemy” in ignoring the band’s later era. Sammy posted a picture from 1991 of himself and Eddie with a light-hearted caption of the clothes they were wearing at the time. Hagar said “we all survived” the questionable fashion of the time.
One fan went on to comment, however: “My dad always said the Roth days were about the party; the Sammy days were about the music.” Another fan added: “No disrespect to Alex but it’s ok to like VH with Sammy, even if he doesn’t anymore.” A third follower posted: “Most purists believe VH ended with DLR.”
That comment prompted a reply from Sammy who said: “It could have (ended), my friend, but instead we went on to sell over 50 million records for a No. 1 album then sold out every building and stadium in the world for a whole decade. That never happened again.”
Hagar continued: “Alex is not doing his brother’s musical legacy justice by not acknowledging all the No. 1 albums and some great music Eddie and I wrote together – not Alex – but Eddie and I wrote together. To not acknowledge 10 years of music is blasphemy to his brother’s musicianship, songwriting and legacy.”
