In a new interview with Forbes magazine, Sammy Hagar discusses his career while promoting his new autobiography, "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock," and unloads a list of bands that he claims he was asked to join over the years.
"I was asked at one time to be in Motley Crue,” says Hagar. “I was asked at one time to be in Pantera by their managers. I was asked to be in Velvet Revolver when Scott Weiland quit and went back to the Stone Temple Pilots. I was waiting to be asked to be in Led Zeppelin to say no, since they were the greatest band on earth and no could replace Robert Plant. I was asked to be in Aerosmith and I said no. Certain bands and certain front man singers are more difficult to replace than others. Steven Tyler and that band have stayed together for forty years and you don’t to walk into something like that. They had one moment years ago, when they replaced Joe Smith [Ed. note: the Forbes writer means Joe Perry], but it’s still always been Steven at the front of Aerosmith. You don’t replace that.”
“When I came into Van Halen,” Sammy continued, “it was easy because Dave [Lee Roth] wasn’t a great singer, but he was a good front man. In those times, I was selling out the same arenas they were so it was like the combination of two forces and it worked but it’s a rare thing. We were all lucky that the fans accepted it and it got bigger. I would avoid bands that are going to break up pretty soon."
Check out the full Hagar session here.
Sammy Hagar Sammy Hagar – Whole Lotta Zep
Moondance Jam – Walker, MN – July 15, 2010
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