Sammy Hagar has praised Eddie Van Halen as the “sweetest person” he met upon joining Van Halen, despite the guitarist’s global fame. The comments underline Hagar’s affection for his late bandmate and distinguish Eddie’s personal character from the pressures that later affected him.

Hagar said Eddie’s status as a guitar superstar never made him arrogant, although he believed alcohol, drugs, fame and wealth eventually contributed to his difficulties. Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985 and later reconciled with Eddie before the guitarist’s death in 2020.