# In 2015, Eddie Van Halen claimed his bandmate couldn’t play. Sammy Hagar said he was full of shit

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-2015-eddie-van-halen-claimed-his-bandmate-couldnt-play-sammy-hagar-said-he-was-full-of-shit/
- Published: 2026-10-31T19:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T19:19:00+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-2015-eddie-van-halen-claimed-his-bandmate-couldnt-play-sammy-hagar-said-he-was-full-of-shit/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Eddie said he taught Anthony every note he played.
- Hagar called the claim a lie and defended Anthony.
- Anthony’s bass and vocals helped define Van Halen’s sound.

## Summary

Sammy Hagar publicly defended bassist Michael Anthony after Eddie Van Halen claimed he had to teach Anthony every note he played. Hagar called the claim false and said Anthony had been loyal to the band, renewing a dispute over how his contribution was portrayed.

The article says Anthony’s bass playing and backing vocals helped shape Van Halen’s sound, alongside the lead vocals of David Lee Roth and Hagar. It also recounts that Anthony was later replaced by Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, and had faced disputes over songwriting royalties and the band’s business dealings.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.