Sammy Hagar is extending an unexpected invitation to David Lee Roth following the cancellation of many of the singer’s upcoming tour dates.
On Thursday (July 23), it was revealed that Roth, the original frontman of Van Halen, had canceled the majority of his scheduled live appearances, with the exception of a performance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota on Aug. 7.
Roth, who announced the tour in January, had been slated to perform a series of amphitheater and theater dates across the United States. Shows in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Illinois were removed from his official website, while four August and September performances remained available for purchase through Ticketmaster at press time.
The singer has not publicly commented on the cancellations.
After learning of the canceled dates, Hagar — Van Halen’s other longtime frontman and Roth’s sometimes rival — posted a heartfelt video on social media expressing his support.
“Hey, Dave. Sammy here. I just got a call from Michael Anthony … about your tour getting canceled. And I wanna say from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. I hope you’re well. I hope there’s not a physical problem,” Hagar said on X.
He continued, “Honestly, Mike and I love the fact that you’ve been out there doing it, supporting the greatest band in the world that we were both part of. And, yeah, I’m really sorry. That’s f—ed up. Supporting what we did in this band to keep this music alive. You and I, Mikey, Al, Ed cannot be replaced. So, when you’re ready to carry on, you go, brother. Mike and I support you.”
Hagar then extended a surprise olive branch, inviting Roth to make a guest appearance during his upcoming Las Vegas residency.
“Come to Vegas for the residency in September,” the Red Rocker said. “Come on, join us. Sing a couple songs, MC the damn show. Come out and just do what the f— you do, which is pretty damn entertaining! Anyway, hope you’re well. I really do. God bless, brother.”
Hagar’s Best of All Worlds Tour Residency launches Sept. 18 at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas and runs through Sept. 26.
He captioned the video, “I’m looking rough, but who cares I’m serious with this post. I hope the news about Dave is not AI!!!!! if it is, my post is still coming from my heart and soul. It is so important that this music carry on especially with the AI music out there. those of us that can still go out and play. should do it as long as they can physically and emotionally carry that torch. @vanhalen was, should be, and hopefully always will be real live music, not just for our fans, but for the future fans of real rock music.”
Hagar replaced Roth as Van Halen’s lead singer following Roth’s 1985 departure, guiding the band through a multi-platinum run. He served as the group’s vocalist from 1985 to 1996 and returned for a second stint from 2003 to 2005.
Roth first rose to fame as Van Halen’s original frontman, leading the band from 1974 to 1985 and appearing on its first six studio albums before launching a successful solo career. He returned to Van Halen in 2007 and remained with the band until its final years before Eddie Van Halen’s death in 2020.
Check out Hagar’s message to Roth on X below.
