The special guests set to take part in this year’s “Power of Love” gala have been revealed. The event will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Feburay 18 and it will include appearances from Sammy Hagar, Paula Abdul, Alice Cooper, Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Nikki Glaser, Chad Kroeger (Nickelback), John Mayer, Michael McDonald, Sam Moore, Rick Springfield, and Maria Shriver. Proceeds will go towards the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
“Sammy Hagar’s Paradise” is now available available to stream on Fox Nation. The program, which focuses on the frontman’s 75th birthday bash, is being presented by TMZ. Hagar commented:
“I’ve been trying to get something like this done about the birthday bash since the beginning. It finally got done right and the fans are in it. Look for yourselves. It’s awesome.”
During an interview with Kyle Meredith, Sammy Hagar discussed an unreleased Van Halen song titled “Between Us Two.” The track was originally written for the 1996 film “Twister” and the singer says it’s “gonna be a treasure.”
Hagar said the following:
“Everyone keeps asking me if there’s any old songs that never got released, and I always say, ‘Not really. There was a couple.’ But I didn’t remember — two or three. ‘Between Us Two’, that’s a midtempo ballad. That’s like a ‘Be Still’ kind of a song, from my new album [‘Crazy Times’]. If somebody said, ‘How was it?’ It was more like a ‘Be Still’. It was kind of almost country — not country, but… I don’t know. It was kind of like [Van Halen’s] ‘Can’t Stop Lovin’ You’, [but] not as uptempo.”
He also added:
“We’ve got it. It’s done. It’s in the archives. They’ll find it. They’re looking through the archives right now to try to remaster some of the old stuff from my era [with Van Halen]. And they’ll find it. That’s gonna be a treasure.”
[via Blabbermouth]
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk,” Sammy Hagar opened up about the possibility of retirement. The frontman says when he decides to hang it it up, he will do so without announcing a farewell tour.
Hagar said the following:
“I’ve thought about it long and hard. And that’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to go out and tour too much next year, because it could be the last one, and I don’t really know. My thing is I would never — I’m saying never say never. Well, right now I’m gonna say I will never announce a farewell tour, go do a big, long tour and then keep going and keep going, like all these other people do. It makes me sick to do that. I would rather not say nothing and just… when I do my last show, it’s my last show. I might say it then, but I’d rather not make no pre-announcement, in case I wanna keep going.
I’m so glad you asked that question. It’s been on my mind real hard. How do you go out? Do you just go away? I don’t know. I’m too public of a figure and I have too many businesses and things to where I can’t just go away; somebody’s gonna catch me somewhere. They’re gonna say, ‘What are you doing?’ So it seems like I almost have to make an announcement, but I’m not solid with that yet, and it’s not time yet. But I am thinking that way. How am I gonna do it when it’s time? And I don’t know. I’d rather just say one show, ‘You know what? That’s the last show. I’m done. I can’t do it anymore.’ I’d rather just say that.”
He also added the following about artists going out on “money-grab” farewell tours:
“The day I do something just strictly for money at this stage of my life, you can call me a greedy piece of shit. I do not need money, and it’s not why I do things. I don’t blame some people for doing things for money — you have to; you’ve gotta make a living, for god’s sakes — but I don’t have to. So at this stage of my life, no money grabs.”
[via Blabbermouth]
Rob Zombie, Sammy Hagar, Gin Blossoms, Sixwire, Wally Palmar (The Romantics), and comedian Jim Breuer are set to join Alice Cooper during his upcoming “Christmas Pudding” concert. That event will take place at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on December 3 and it will also include performances from the Solid Rock Dancers, The Bucket Brigade, and the winners of this year’s “Proof Is In The Pudding” music and dance competition. Proceeds will go towards music, dance, arts, and vocational programs at Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers. Cooper commented:
“We are excited to be celebrating our 20th year with a stellar lineup of talent who dedicate their time and passion to help us raise funds for our Rock Teen Centers. We are grateful to everyone who continues to make this one of the finest shows in the Valley and promise another memorable evening of music and mayhem!”
Sammy Hagar & The Circle have premiered a new video for their song “Father Time.” This track is from the group’s latest album “Crazy Times.” Hagar commented:
“When I first wrote ‘Father Time’, I kept it from everyone because it was so personal that I’d get too choked up to actually sing it. I wrote it just after turning 70 while I was at our then-home in Maui. That house was my sanctuary in the middle of the jungle, overlooking the ocean — it was just paradise. The words ‘Father Time’s over there looking over my shoulder’ just kept going through my head, so I picked up my guitar and the rest of the song just came spilling out. I turned on my iPhone and recorded it. I cried my eyes out after I wrote and played it back. It’s probably the most personal song that I’ve ever written and now, after just turning 75, I’m finally ready to release it.”
During an interview with Rolling Stone, Sammy Hagar further discussed the possibility of a Van Halen tribute concert. The singer says he “would definitely love to play with Alex [Van Halen] and Mike [Anthony] with a great guitar player that doesn’t try to just mimic Eddie [Van Halen] perfectly.”
Hagar said the following when asked if Joe Satriani told him when he was approached about a hypothetical tribute:
“No, because the Van Halen camp is 100% secrecy. I bet when he walked through the door, they made him sign something, and I’m dead serious. Alex is a very, very secretive guy. I don’t know how he can keep his lips so sealed. I could probably say something horrible about him right now and he wouldn’t even respond. Don’t take that the wrong way. I have nothing bad to say about him. I’m just talking about how stubborn he is. He does not budge. But Joe told me about it later, after it happened. I knew there was talk of it because Irving Azoff had called me. He said, ‘I want to do a residency in Vegas with you and Mike and Al and a superstar guitar player.’ And I said ‘Like who?’ And he said, ‘Like Joe Satriani.’ I said, ‘It just sounds like Chickenfoot with Alex Van Halen instead of Chad Smith.’ I wasn’t much for that, as much as I love Joe. He could do that job best, without a doubt, because he’s so friggin’ anal about the way he plays, and every single note. I said to Irving, ‘I’m going to call Joe.’ When I did, he told me what happened. And I said, ‘Jason Newsted? What the fuck is going on here, man? Whose idea is this? This must be a Dave [Lee Roth] idea.’ And Irving said it was a Dave idea.
Why would he want anyone but Mike? It’s probably because he knows that Mike and I are so close. I would imagine if they would’ve called Mike, Mike would’ve said, ‘Yes, I’ll do it with Sam.’ Because without Ed, there is no Van Halen to start with. So now, you’re going to go out and just play the early songs, and not play the second era? That would be the biggest failure Van Halen ever had if they call themselves ‘Van Halen’ if they didn’t have Mikey. If it’s just Alex with other guys, that’s like what Jason Bonham does with Led Zeppelin. There’s a million bands out there doing that. It would be totally nuts. Also, I’d prefer that nobody attempts to replace Eddie Van Halen. I think that’s blasphemy and should be illegal.
Anyway, I think that Irving boohooed it, and Dave went around him and did it anyway. I’m surprised that Alex went that far, but Alex might have just been his methodical self and said, ‘Well, let’s see what this is like. Let’s see how it feels.'”
He continued when asked if he would do a Las Vegas residency or some kind of tour with Alex and Mike:
“Not a tour, no. I wouldn’t leave what I’m doing for that. I would make myself available to have a rehearsal and see which guitar player would work the best. I’m telling you, Joe would be the best. But like I said, then it’s just kind of Chickenfoot with Alex, which there’s a problem there. And I think that’s probably what they were thinking when they tried to get a different bass player, but that’s stupid, too.
I would definitely love to play with Alex and Mike with a great guitar player that doesn’t try to just mimic Eddie perfectly. There’s so many great guitar players. There’s Steve Vai. There’s frigging John 5, who is a great guitar player.”
He went on to say that he would consider a one-off event:
“I’m thinking of one-off weekend or something where we give the money away to some cause. It can’t just be, ‘Hey, we’re going to grab some money.’ I got plenty of money. There’s nothing that I would do for money that I just wasn’t in love with the idea of doing. And I’m not in love with the idea of being Van Halen without Eddie Van Halen. Matter of fact, I’m dead against it. But I would love to play music with Alex and Mike again. I would love to play those songs again. And if we did a residency or a tribute, I would sing 50/50. I would sing half the Dave songs too for the VAN HALEN fans. And those songs are great. I don’t mind singing some of them. The lyrics don’t fit in my life today, but neither does ‘Rock Candy’ or ‘Bad Motor Scooter’.
But I just think it’s crazy to do anything that’s called Van Halen without Eddie. I would love it if Dave wanted to do a tribute where he’d sing ten of his songs, and then I’d come out and do ten of mine. That would be great with Alex and Mike and maybe a bunch of different guitar players. Look at what Dave [Grohl] just did for Taylor [Hawkins]. That’s one of the greatest events in rock history. That’s right up there with the early Farm Aids, and right up there with Live Aid. That was a great event, and that could be done for Ed with everybody playing.”
Hagar also added the following when asked if he has spoken to Eddie’s son Wolfgang:
“Yes, but not a ton. I really gave him a lot of love when he made his first record, and he gave me some back. It was very cordial, not like, ‘Hey, let’s get together’ and stuff like that. I mean, Wolfie blows my mind. Look what he did over in London for that Taylor thing. When he played Eddie’s stuff, man, that was fuckin’ really good. He just keeps impressing me with his talent. That song ‘Distance’ is so soulful. I had no idea he could sing like that. He’s really got his pop’s talent. It’s kind of like Jason and John Bonham. I mean, Jason’s just like his dad, man. He plays fuckin’ that good. And I think Wolfie, maybe not as innovative because nobody is, but yes, he’s definitely doing it right. I praise him for not trying to be Eddie.
But now, I’ll make a statement. If there was ever a situation where there was a Van Halen tribute in some kind of way with Alex, Mike, myself, Dave, if he would cooperate, and Wolfie playing Eddie’s parts, now that would be worthy of calling ‘Van Halen,’ for a moment. Wolfie would be crazy to drop his life and his creativity and his career to be his dad’s mimic. But for a moment, it could be great.”
Sammy Hagar & The Circle have premiered a new video for their song “Funky Feng Shui.” This track is from the group’s new album “Crazy Times,” which will be released on September 30. Hagar commented:
“‘Funky Feng Shui’ was the first song I started writing for the ‘Crazy Times’ record. We recorded just the two verses I had written for the first ‘Lockdown Sessions’. When we got in the studio, [producer] David Cobb loved this song so we finished it and it made the record. The video was a blast because the director kept screaming, ‘Just remember there’s gonna be a 50-foot woman stepping over you guys while you’re performing.’ Ha ha! I love this song and this video is more fun than a frog in a glass of milk. And I love you all. Enjoy!”
During a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Sammy Hagar claimed that Eddie Van Halen visited him in a recent dream. The frontman went on to say that he even wrote a new song with the late guitarist.
Hagar said the following:
“I shouldn’t be hyping it now. Nobody knows this but Michael Anthony, Jason [Bonham] and Vic [Johnson]. About two months ago, I had this dream and Eddie came. We were in a room like this, [with] a bunch of people around. It was just like he’d been gone. It was not like he was passed, but he had just been out of my life and we hadn’t seen each other for a while. He’s going, ‘Man, let’s write some music!’ I said, ‘Yeah, fuck it, man. Here, let’s go!'”
“[Eddie] went over into a corner, in this room. He had a guitar and he played me this thing. It was like this lick – [just like] the last lick that Eddie Van Halen showed me, when I went back for the [2004] reunion tour and when he was a mess. I said, ‘Eddie, show me your newest shit,’ because every time I’d be around him I’d say, ‘Show me your newest shit.’ He’d say, ‘Oh, check this out!'”
“He did this harmonic thing and he slid it up to a chord, like a slide guitar. We wrote a song with that lick. I remembered it. I got up in the morning and I wrote the song. It’s called, ‘Thank You.’ I used the fuckin’ lick that he showed me in the song. I told Jason, ‘I just really don’t know what to say lyrically.’ I’ve got goosebumps, head to toe, [talking about it]. So I wrote it [about that experience], and we’ll do that song someday.”
“Now, that’s going to be an Eddie-influenced song, to the point that I’m going to co-write it with him. I’m going to give him credit and then maybe we’ll donate the money to charity, whatever. You see, I feel so embarrassed about it because everyone’s going to say, ‘Oh, look at Sammy trying to capitalize on Eddie.’ No, I’m not. You don’t understand. This was a real fuckin’ dream, and I told you exactly what happened in it.”
During a recent interview with News-Herald, Sammy Hagar discussed the possibility of a Van Halen tribute concert. He said the following:
“[Michael Anthony spoke about it] just because there was all this talk about Jason [Newsted]. What’s that about, Jason Newsted playing bass for Van Halen? Great guy. Great musician. But in Van Halen? No, not when Mikey’s still here and alive to do it.”
He also added the following when asked if he would take part in a tribute show:
“I’m so happy with everything I’m doing now, I don’t think I’d go back there. Maybe if Alex was interested, it might be something to talk about, with him and Mikey and a superstar guitar player. But it’s really not Van Halen without Eddie [Van Halen], so…I just don’t know.”
Metal Anarchy 
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