WATCH: Sammy Hagar tells Van Halen 'I'm sorry' for the harsh words
Sammy Hagar has publicly apologised to his former Van Halen bandmates for the vitriolic words he’s fired at them in recent years.
In a newly released excerpt clip from Oprah: Where Are They Now, Sammy said he wants to “forgive and forget” the bad blood and wants to rekindle his friendship with Eddie and Alex Van Halen.
Set to emotive piano music, Sammy says: “The whole Van Halen issue, I’ve really put that behind me. I’m proud of what we did.
“So forgive and forget, I ain’t looking for nothing from nobody. I’m not asking to get back in the band and do all that again, that’s work. I don’t want to do that, I just want to be friends. I want to say, ‘I’m sorry (for) anything bad I’ve said about you.’”
You can watch the clip here:
After 11 years and four studio albums with Van Halen, Sammy exited the band in 1996 in dubious circumstances with the vocalist claiming he’d been fired and Van Halen saying he walked.
The 68-year-old returned to the band for an ill-fated reunion from 2003 to 2005 – an experience that only soured relationships further.
In a 2012 interview he said the 2004 reunion tour “was some of the most miserable, back-stabbing dark crap I’ve ever been involved with my whole life.”
Last year he was incensed when Eddie Van Halen downplayed Michael Anthony’s role in the band by saying: “Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play. Before we’d go on tour, he’d come over with a video camera and I’d have to show him how to play all the parts.”
Slamming Eddie’s comments as “the biggest line of bulls*** I’ve ever heard in my life”, Sammy aimed some harsh words at his ex-bandmate.
He blasted: “Michael Anthony is a bad mother**. F* you, Eddie Van Halen for saying that about Mikey. You’re a liar, I’m so pissed about that. Ahole. Michael Anthony is the greatest guy on the f***ing planet.”
The first hint that Sammy and Van Halen might be burying the hatchet came in January this year when Sammy wished Eddie a happy birthday on Twitter.
He later explained that the recent untimely deaths of David Bowie and Glenn Frey had reminded him that life was too short to feud.
> .@sammyhagar Thanks Sammy. Hope you’re well too. > > — Eddie Van Halen (@eddievanhalen) January 26, 2016