Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar shared a strong musical partnership as key members of one of rock’s most iconic bands before Eddie’s death in 2020. Hagar became the lead singer of Van Halen in 1985, following David Lee Roth’s departure. Combining Eddie’s unmatched guitar work and Hagar’s powerful voice, they produced multiple hit albums and sold-out tours during a successful run that reshaped the band’s sound.
They worked together on songs like “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Dreams,” “Right Now, and Love Walks In,” which became massive radio hits in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Years later, even with Eddie gone, Hagar says the guitar legend is still helping him create.
Sammy Hagar was inspired to write the song “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight” by the late Eddie Van Halen
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Hagar recently revealed that his upcoming single, “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight,” came together with a little help from a dream where Eddie Van Halen appeared and played a guitar lick that stuck with him. The guitar idea was vivid enough that Hagar remembered it exactly the next morning and used it as the foundation for the new track.
He says the song’s key guitar part came directly from that dream, sounding like something Eddie would’ve written himself. The track, which features Hagar’s current bandmates, came to life quickly and now stands as a surprising tribute to Van Halen.
Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen did not have the best relationship
Though they created hit records together, Hagar and Van Halen didn’t always get along. Their time in the band was split into two chapters, from 1985 to 1996, and again from 2003 to 2005. The second reunion, especially, ended on a sour note. After a difficult tour in 2004, their working relationship came to a halt, and they stopped speaking for years.
Things improved before Eddie’s death, as both sides reached out and found some closure. Hagar has since talked openly about that reconciliation. The song, which is his final tribute, features Joe Satriani on guitar, Van Halen’s former bassist Michael Anthony, and drummer Kenny Aronoff.