Sammy Hagar has called out Alex Van Halen for what he sees as a major omission in the drummer's new memoir, Brothers.
The book focuses on the early days of Van Halen with singer David Lee Roth but stops short of acknowledging the band's later success with Hagar as lead singer.
In response, Hagar didn't hold back, labeling the omission "blasphemy" to Eddie Van Halen's legacy in a recent remark on Instagram.
"Alex is not doing his brother's musical legacy justice by not acknowledging all the No. 1 albums and some great music Eddie and I wrote together," Hagar wrote in response to fans on the social media platform, as Heavy Consequence subsequently reported.
What prompted this back-and-forth was Hagar's post that featured a nostalgic photo from 1991 of he and Eddie Van Halen walking to the stage. Hagar joked about their bold fashion choices before fans started debating the merits of the Roth and Hagar eras.
One commenter noted, "Most purists believe VH ended with DLR," which led to Hagar's heated reply.
"It could have [ended], my friend, but instead we went on to sell over 50 million records," Hagar said. He highlighted their string of No. 1 albums and sold-out stadium tours, emphasizing achievements during the decade he was with the band.
Alex Van Halen, however, recently told Billboard that the magic of Van Halen was rooted in the early years with Roth. "What happened after Dave left is not the same band," Alex said.
"I'm not saying it was better or worse or any of that," the drummer continued. "The fact is Ed and I did our best work whenever we played. We always gave it our best shot."
He added, "But the magic was in the first years, when we didn't know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything."
Hagar disagrees, asserting the music he and Eddie created together deserves recognition. He called the lack of acknowledgment a disservice to Eddie's musicianship and legacy.
Despite the tension, Hagar recently expressed a desire to reconcile with Alex. "I don't want Al taking this to his grave," he said last month, per Classic Rock. "I just want to be friends again."
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