Happy Bitrthday today to Sammy Hager. The Red Rocker is 71. Also celebrating is Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna (58).
Sammy Hagar first got his start in the 1970’s with the hard rock band Montrose and eventually launched a successful solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with "I Can’t Drive 55". He enjoyed huge success in Van Halen, replacing David Lee Roth as frontman in 1985. Hagar left Van Halen in 1996 but would return for a 2 year reunion from 2003-2005.
Hagar currently performs with The Waboritas and his other band The Circle. The Circle features Sammy on vocals along with guitarist Vic Johnson, Michael Anthony on bass, and Jason Bonham on drums. His other project is Chickenfoot which features Joe Satriani (guitar), Michael Anthony (bass), and Chad Smith (drums). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Van Halen in 2007 and released his autobiography entitled Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock in 2011.
Cheers to Sammy! We’ll do a shot of Cabo Wabo tequila in his honor.
Sammy Hagar photo credit: Larry Marano/Getty Images
Joey Belladonna photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images