Sammy Hagar Says He Could Imagine Being Friends With David Lee Roth

Sammy Hagar says he can now imagine having a real friendship with fellow former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth — despite a famously tense history between the two.

In a recent interview on Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM, Hagar responded to Roth’s surprising onstage comments earlier this year, where Roth referenced the spirit of Eddie Van Halen visiting him — echoing a similar claim Hagar made in 2022. At the time, Hagar said Eddie’s ghost inspired the song “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight.”

Though Roth’s comments carried a tone of dry humor, Hagar took them as a rare olive branch.

“To me, it was like, ‘Wow, Dave actually became cool for a minute about me,’” Hagar said. “And I think he and I could be friends. Honestly, I would love that. He’s the wackiest guy — in my opinion, he’d be a blast to hang with.”

He even painted a scene of what that friendship might look like:

“Get on a boat and cruise around the islands with that guy and some of our friends — it’d be fun. We’ve got so much in common if you think about it. We both spent about 10 years in Van Halen, writing songs with Eddie. We’re totally different people, but that’s what would make it entertaining. The people around us would probably enjoy it even more.”

Hagar Praises Roth’s Unexpected Compliment

Hagar was also struck by Roth’s public acknowledgment of his vocal and songwriting legacy — something the two have rarely shared mutual respect over in the past.

“He’s a good storyteller,” Hagar noted. “And I just thought it was wonderful that he actually said, ‘Sammy Hagar — the guy’s got a great voice,’ or something like that. He said, ‘And he’s got a good catalog.’ Whoa — Dave, right on, brother!”

While no formal reconciliation has taken place, Hagar’s comments suggest that time — and the loss of Eddie Van Halen — may have softened the long-standing rivalry between the two singers who defined separate eras of the band.

An Offbeat Moment at Ozzy’s Final Show

During the same interview, Hagar also opened up about a moment he’d rather forget: his flubbed performance at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert in July.

Hagar had been invited to sing Osbourne’s 1981 hit “Flying High Again,” but admitted he stumbled through the song after insisting on performing without a teleprompter.

“I was very disappointed in myself,” Hagar admitted. “I said, ‘I don’t want a teleprompter; I never use them.’ They said, ‘Well, we’ll have it there just in case.’ I thought I had the lyrics memorized.”

But a backstage distraction threw off his timing. “I was in the middle of a conversation and suddenly heard them announce me. I was 50 yards from the stage! I went running out — the band had already started. I step out on the ramp and go, ‘Holy shit!’ I missed the whole thing!”

Trying to catch up with the lyrics, he searched for the teleprompter but couldn’t keep pace. “The lyrics were moving faster than I could sing them. I finally got it together, but man, if you want to talk about your private parts shrinking up…”

Despite the chaotic start, Hagar managed to pull it together by the end. “That song was great once we got it going. The band even came in backwards on the intro, so it was even crazier!”