Sammy Hagar’s Best Of All Worlds band will return but it will be without drummer Jason Bonham.
Bonham confirmed the news via an Instagram post by Bonham Friday (Nov. 15) to promote his upcoming Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening concerts. The post prompted a fan to ask, “C’Mon Jason… Can we get some Los Angeles dates? Also will you be rejoining Best of All Worlds band?” Jason responded: “Sammy has decided to carry on with Kenny so Sadly no”.
Bonham was part of the U.S. leg of Hagar’s Best Of All Worlds tour, which focused largely on celebrating the music of Van Halen. He had to abruptly leave the tour with four shows remaining on the U.S. leg due to a family issue. He was replaced by Kenny Aronoff, who had previously played with Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, and guitarist Joe Satriani in Chickenfoot. Bonham later explained through social media that his mother’s health issues were what caused him to exit the tour.
“I wanted to take a moment to explain my absence over the past few weeks,” said Bonham. “As many of you know, my mother has been facing some serious health issues, and it’s been an incredibly challenging time for our family. I’m grateful to share that she’s on the mend and has been discharged from the hospital! She’s now home and recovering, which brings me immense relief. It was truly difficult to step away from ‘The Best Of All Worlds’ tour with only four shows left. The energy, the connections, and the experiences were nothing short of incredible, but my priority had to be with my mother during her fight for life.”
A few days before Bonham’s statement, Hagar took to Instagram to tease a new recording project with the BOAW band while hinting at more tour dates. It included the handles of Anthony, Satriani, and Aronoff.
“Big announcement coming up next week,” stated Hagar. “The best of all worlds band … We are up to something #newmusic #moreshows @mad_anthony_bassman @joesatriani @kennyaronoff.”