Classic Rock
Sammy Hagar explains why he decided to hire a new drummer
Since 2014, Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin‘s John Bonham, has been a member of Sammy Hagar‘s band. A few months ago, he had to leave the band’s current tour because his mother was in the hospital fighting for her life.
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To continue the tour, Hagar hired Kenny Aronoff and then decided to keep him in the band. Bonham said recently he was surprised by that and now Hagar explained in an interview with Rolling Stone why he decided to make this change.
Sammy Hagar explains why he decided to hire a new drummer
“Yeah (It was not easy for Kenny to learn the songs fast), and that’s why he is still in the band. That’s why we’re moving forward with him. There’s two reasons. Number one, he’s one of the greatest drummers on the planet. I think he’s been on more million-selling records than any musician in the world. And he did so well on this tour, and he plays with Joe on a full-time basis.”
“Keeping this Best of All Worlds band together is difficult when you got Jason doing his thing, you got Joe doing his thing, you got Mike and I. We need our beach time and our taco nights, Taco Tuesdays and stuff. Trying to get it together, it really helps by having Kenny’s schedule be with Joe. If Joe’s available, Kenny’s available, and it’s not trying to put pieces together.”
He continued:
“Kenny’s right here. We can rehearse any day of the week. And he blew my mind. I played with Kenny in Chickenfoot, and he blew my mind then too, because when we auditioned him, he learns every song. ‘Tell me what songs we’re playing.’ ‘Okay, here they are.'”
“He charts them out and he sits there, and he fuckin’ can read it, and play it with soul and power perfectly, just one time, the first time he plays it. If that don’t blow a musician’s mind, I don’t know what would, especially these kinds of songs. These songs are crazy. They’re fuckin’ Van Halen arrangements,” Sammy Hagar said.
Besides Sammy Hagar and Kenny Aronoff, Sammy’s band is currently formed by guitarist Joe Satriani and bassist Michael Anthony.
Hagar’s 2025 Las Vegas residency
The “Best of All Worlds” tour will continue in 2025 and Hagar announced a Las Vegas residency with the current line-up. The shows will happen in April and May at the Dolby Live at Park MGM.
April
- 30
May
- 2
- 3
- 7
- 9
- 10
- 14
- 16
- 17
