George Lopez Helped Sammy Hagar And Eddie Van Halen To Reconnect
via sammyhagar/Instagram
It Started With A Phone Call
In a new interview on KSHE 95, Sammy Hagar talks about his reconciliation with former bandmate Eddie Van Halen. Hagar reveals to host Guy “Favazz” Favazza that comedian George Lopez was instrumental in his and EVH’s renewed friendship months before the legendary guitarist’s death.
Hagar says, “I reached out to Eddie because… George Lopez, the comedian, who I’ve known for a long time and who also is dear friends with Eddie, calls me up and says, ‘Sammy, I need you to call Eddie. I played golf with him. He’s not doing good,’ blah blah blah. And everyone knew Eddie wasn’t doing good. He said, ‘I just was with him, and he said he loves you and he’s so disappointed that you haven’t reached out to him.’ I said, ‘I reached out to all these people. I reached out to Alex [Van Halen, Eddie’s brother].’ I didn’t have Eddie’s contact number. I reached out to all these people: ‘Tell Eddie I love him. I hope he’s doing well.’ So George says, ‘Here’s his number. Call him.'”
He continues, “So I call him. And Eddie said — my favorite line from Eddie in a long time… He goes, ‘What took you so long?’ I go, ‘I reached out to Al. I reached out to everybody.’ He’s going, ‘You didn’t call me.’ And I said, ‘Oh, man. Ed, I love you.’ And it was just one big love fest from then on. That was back in the beginning of the year, before COVID. So, yeah, we’ve been texting and talking about Wolfie [Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen] and his new record, and about us and the things we did and how great the stuff is.”
The Red Rocker takes comfort in the fact that they made peace before EVH passed away. He muses that if he didn’t contact EVH and become friends with him again prior to his death, Hagar says it “would have been devastating.” Check out the rest of the interview below.
