Sammy Hagar 'wanted to break' David Lee Roth's neck during 2002 tour
The rock star, 77, aired some grievances about former VanHalen vocalist David Lee Roth in a blunt conversation with Rolling Stone published April 29. Hagar said he "wanted to break the guy's" neck sometimes during their 2002 tour together.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Roth for comment.
"Dave always wants too much," Hagar said. "He always tries to upstage. He tried to pull stuff on the Sam and Dave tour (of 2002). The nights when he was opening, when we flip-flopped ... which I would never do again. I would never bother. But look, I'm not an opening act for anybody.
"On those nights, he would call in and say that the bus broke down, 10 minutes before he was supposed to go on. And because I care about my fans, I would go on. And I did that about four times."
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Roth, 70, served as lead vocalist for Van Halen until leaving the band in 1985 and being replaced by Hagar. In 2002, the duo launched a co-headlining tour together. During a press conference at the time, Roth, who noted there was a "rivalry between us," announced that he and Hagar would "flip a coin and the winner will headline opening night and then we'll flip-flop," according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
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Speaking to Rolling Stone, Hagar declared that Roth "did the worst when he headlined."
When the magazine asked the rocker whether he would ever share the bill with Roth on tour again, he said the "circumstances would have to be right." But when Rolling Stone mentioned that Roth is coming out of retirement this summer to play some shows, the outlet reports that Hagar fell "off his chair, roaring with laughter, out of the frame of the camera."
"Let's see if he makes the shows," Hagar said.
In a 2002 interview with Guitar World magazine, Hagar declared that his tour with Roth "could have been a heck of a lot better" because Roth is "an unreasonable guy" and "not a fun guy." He added, "Boy, I hate to ever say I'm sorry I did something, so I can't say I'm sorry I did it. But I certainly wouldn't do it again, let's put it like that."
Hagar also told AXS TV that he "never really had a lot of respect for" Roth, adding, "To me, I wasn't buying it. There was something that was fake about him. The old Van Halen fans, if I'd have said that in the beginning, would have crucified me. But he was the enemy."
In 2023, Hagar extended an invitation for Roth to join him on tour in an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show." But Hagar later said on the "Eddie Trunk Podcast" that Roth "went AWOL" and "went to sleep" on the offer.
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