Sammy Hagar has opened up about the complex dynamics within Van Halen, revealing that Eddie Van Halen’s jealousy of his close friendship with bassist Michael Anthony created major tension within the band.
In a recent interview, the former Van Halen frontman reflected on how his camaraderie with Anthony, which extended well beyond the stage, sometimes rubbed Eddie the wrong way. “Eddie was jealous of my relationship with Mike,” Hagar admitted. “We were tight. We’d hang out, go boating, barbecue, drink some tequila, all that stuff. I think Eddie felt left out sometimes, like he wasn’t part of that connection.”
Hagar explained that while he and Eddie shared an intense creative chemistry, their personalities couldn’t have been more different. “When we got in a room with instruments, it was magic. We could write songs in minutes. But outside of music, we were just different kinds of people,” he said. “Mike and I were both easygoing, always laughing, always having fun. Eddie was more intense, more inward. He didn’t always understand that kind of friendship.”
The singer also pointed to the deep personal bond he and Anthony formed during and after their years in Van Halen, one that has continued through their current band, The Circle. “Mike’s my brother,” Hagar said. “He’s loyal, honest, and never had an ego about any of it. That’s rare in this business. I think that loyalty made some people uncomfortable, especially when the band politics got ugly.”
Rumors of friction between Eddie and Anthony go back decades. After Hagar’s departure in the mid-1990s, Anthony’s role in Van Halen gradually diminished, and by the time the band reunited with David Lee Roth in 2007, Eddie’s son Wolfgang had replaced Anthony on bass.
Hagar has never been shy about voicing his opinions on that change, often defending Anthony’s legacy. “Mike was the glue,” Hagar once said. “His background vocals, his playing, that sound was part of Van Halen. You take him out, it’s not the same band.”
Despite the emotional distance that grew between him and Eddie over the years, Hagar insists that he made peace with the late guitarist before his passing in 2020. “Eddie and I connected again before he died,” he said. “We put the past behind us. I’ll always love that guy. He was one of the greatest musicians ever, and I’m grateful we had the time we did.”
Still, Hagar acknowledges that the internal rivalries and personal insecurities within Van Halen were part of what made the band both brilliant and volatile. “When you’ve got that much talent and that many strong personalities, it’s bound to explode sometimes,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the music we made together is what matters. That’s what people remember, and that’s what I choose to hold on to.”
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