Drummer said he was upset with the decision made by the singer, but guarantees not to hold any regrets: “the guy taught me a lot”
The professional relationship between the singer doesn’t seem to have ended so well. Sammy Hagar and the drummer Jason Bonham. The first, a former member of the Van Halenworked with the second, son of John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), a decade ago — initially in the project Sammy Hagar & The Circle and more recently on tour Best of All Worlds.
The aforementioned excursion was highly acclaimed for having Hagar revisiting different phases of Van Halen alongside the group’s classic bassist and his decades-long partner, michael anthonyin addition to Joe Satriani on guitar and himself Bonham on the battery. After touring North America this year, the show will be transformed into a season in Las Vegas for the beginning of 2025.
However, on the final four dates, Jason had to be absent for family reasons: his mother, Patwas hospitalized due to a serious health problem. Kenny Aronoff occupied the vacancy in an initiative that seemed to be temporary, but will now be permanent.
Bonham he was upset. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rockthe drummer revealed that the decision to break up was made by Hagar and communicated over the phone.
“Sammy called me a while ago. He was asking about my mom, but then he said, ‘You know, I’m not going to do much next year,’ blah, blah blah, ‘so I’m going to stick with Kenny‘. I have to say I was a little shocked. I’d be lying to you if I wasn’t a little sad, because we were doing really well at the end of the tour. I was a little upset. That was strange, after 10 years with him.”
Jason Bonham still loves Sammy Hagar
Despite the sudden professional break, Jason Bonham has nothing against Sammy Hagar. On the contrary: the drummer guarantees that he still loves the vocalist, to whom he wishes the best.
“We still talk. Honestly, the guy taught me a lot about business and being positive. I’m English, I end up being very negative some of the time. Even if the sun is shining, [penso:] ‘but it might rain’. He really helped me a lot in that aspect, as well as business sense and never taking no for an answer, always believing in yourself.”
Bonham should focus his next efforts on the tribute band Led Zeppelin Eveningwhere he pays homage to his father. Fortunately, the mother is recovering well. In case of Hagar and his group, as previously mentioned, the beginning of 2025 will be marked by a season of shows at Dolby Livea place with capacity for 5.2 thousand people in Park MGMin Las Vegas, United States. The presentations take place on April 30th and May 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 16th and 17th.
In a statement (via Igor Miranda website), Hagar comments:
“I’m really looking forward to this residency and being able to stay in one place so we can get the sound and production completely dialed in. This also allows the band to experiment with the setlist every night — which is why it will be exclusive to Las Vegas — rather than traveling all day on tour, not having time to rehearse and make changes. I plan to delve deeper into the Van Halen catalog and my solo career, Montrose and Chickenfoot as well. Fans will be in for a lot of surprises.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
