Sammy Hagar Recalls Last Conversation With Eddie Van Halen

Sammy Hagar recalled how he reconnected with former bandmate Eddie Van Halen in the months before the guitar legend's death and also spoke about their final conversation.

The former Van Halen frontman appearance on Matt Pinfield's New & Approved show on the Los Angeles radio station KLOS and explained how he tried to reach Eddie via various people including the band's manager Irving Azoff and Alex Van Halen, but it was mutual friend, George Lopez, who encourage him to call Eddie directly.

Hagar shared, "George Lopez calls me, and he's a dear friend too. And he goes, 'Sam, you've gotta call Eddie,' and blah blah blah. I said, 'I tried to reach him.' [He says], 'Here's his number. I just talked to him. He loves you, man. He loves you.' And I said, 'Wow. Okay.' I call him, and he's going, 'What took you so long?' I'm going, 'Well, I called Al. I called this guy. I called that [guy].' And he goes, 'Well, you didn't call me.' And I said, 'Well, I'm calling you now.' And we just burst out laughing.

"And we just had a real nice relationship for probably four or five months, and then, all of a sudden, he wasn't returning the texts and he wasn't returning my calls and I wasn't getting no response for about a month. It was heartbreaking, 'cause I knew. And then one time I said, 'Hey, dude. What the f***? You didn't give me no love.' And he goes, 'Man, I've been in the hospital.' And I'm, like, 'Oh, f***.' And then that was the last I heard [from] him." Watch the full interview below:

Van Halen Icon David Lee Roth Announces 2026 Tour

Alex Van Halen To Look Back At Van Halen's 1978-1984 Era With New Book (2025 In Review)

Alex Van Halen Working On New Album With Notable Guitarist

Alex Van Halen Surprised Sammy Hagar (2025 In Review)

News > Van Halen