Happy birthday to the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar!
Born Samuel Roy Hagar on October 13th, 1947 in Salinas, California, he grew up in Fontana, California where he began playing guitar at age 11. After ending his boxing career, Hagar began singing in the late ’60s, performing with various California bands like Skinny, the Fabulous Catillas, Justice Brothers, and Dust Cloud. In 1973, former Edgar Winter guitarist Ronnie Montrose invited Hagar to join his band, Montrose. Hagar recorded two albums with Montrose before going solo in 1976, taking bassist Bill Church with him. Montrose’s drummer, Denny Carmassi, later joined Hagar’s band, along with keyboardist Geoff Workman.
Montrose “Bad Motor Scooter”
Hagar’s self-titled album from 1977 (also known as “The Red Album”) was his first chart success (#167 on Billboard), eventually going gold. It includes his first anthem, “Red”, which led to his nickname “The Red Rocker”. In 1979, he formed a new band with Workman, Church, guitarist Gary Pihl, and drummer Chuck Ruff who appeared on his 1981 platinum album, Standing Hampton, and 1982’s gold Three Lock Box, with David Lauser replacing Ruff.
After “Three Lock Box” and its hit single “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy”, Hagar performed with guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Kenny Aaronson, and drummer Mike Shrieve, recording a live album as Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve (HSAS), and a studio version of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. His 1984 album VOA featured the hit “I Can’t Drive 55”, reaching number 26.
Sammy Hagar – “I Can’t Drive 55”
In 1985, Hagar began a decade-long run as Van Halen frontman after the departure of David Lee Roth. His first album with the band, 1986’s 5150, went to #1 on Billboard. He followed with a solo album in 1987, titled I Never Said Goodbye, which featured bandmate Edward Van Halen on bass.
Hagar and Van Halen continued their string of #1 albums through the ’80s and into the ’90s, releasing chart-topping, multi-platinum albums OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), and Balance (1995), before tensions arose.
Van Halen – “Why Can’t This Be Love”
In 1996, Hagar ended his run as Van Halen frontman and returned to his solo career with the release of 1997’s Marching to Mars. It was well-received, reaching the Top 20 and re-establishing his solo career. With his band, the Waboritas (guitarist Vic Johnson, keyboardist Jesse Harms, bassist Mona, and drummer David Lauser), Hagar released Red Voodoo in 1999 followed by 2000’s Ten 13.
In the summer of 2002, Hagar teamed up with David Lee Roth for the Song for Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll Tour, also called the “Sans-Halen” or “Sam & Dave” Tour. It drew large crowds, with Roth and Hagar alternating as the first performer. He followed the tour with a new studio release, 2003’s Not For Sale.
After the successful tour with Roth, Hagar began considering reconnecting with his former Van Halen bandmates, reaching out to Alex in late 2003 after a tip from a mutual friend. In 2004, Van Halen toured with Hagar and released a 2-CD greatest hits album, The Best of Both Worlds, which included three new tracks featuring Hagar as the lead.
In 2008, Hagar released Cosmic Universal Fashion, his 11th solo album. That year, he formed a new band, Chickenfoot, with Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Their 2009 debut album went gold, leading to a 2011 sequel, Chickenfoot III. Hagar continued collaborating with Chickenfoot members on his 2013 album, Sammy Hagar & Friends. In 2014, Lite Roast featured acoustic versions of Hagar classics, and in 2015, he released the live album At Your Service with his touring band Sammy Hagar & the Circle, featuring Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham, and guitarist Vic Johnson.
Sammy Hagar & The Circle – “When It’s Love”
In 2019, The Circle released their first studio album, The Space Between, debuting at number four. They returned in 2022 with Crazy Times, including a cover of Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” as the lead single.
In November of 2023, Hagar announced he was embarking on the much-anticipated The Best of All Worlds 2024 tour with longtime bandmates Michael Anthony (bass, backing vocals), Jason Bonham (drums), and Joe Satriani (guitar). With Loverboy onboard as a special guest, the North American tour kicked off on July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida, with a string of outdoor amphitheater dates through the end of August. In September, Pollstar reported Hagar had the highest-ranked debut on LIVE75 (LIVE75 ranks worldwide active tours by average tickets sold for shows performed over 30 days) and landed in the top 15 on the chart based on ticket sales reported from six performances. The ticket count at the six concerts, Aug. 13 through 20, totaled 60,783 for an average of 10,130 per show to score the No. 14 ranking.
Sammy Hagar & Best Of All Worlds Band – “5150”
Watch Sammy Hagar Perform “Dreams” w/ Michael Anthony (Las Vegas Birthday Bash 10/4/24)