Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar has revealed that he was once asked to become the frontman of Pantera.
During an interview with SiriusXM (via Ultimate Classic Rock), Hagar said he was asked to join Pantera by a member of the band’s management team.
“How about if I tell you something crazy. I don’t believe it; I don’t believe it’s true…this was before I actually became friends with [Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul]. And [the manager] said Pantera … wanted me to be the lead singer of their band,” Hagar began.
He continued: “And he asked me, ‘Would you be interested?’ And I said, ‘No, not after [leaving] Van Halen [in 1996]. I’m not gonna join another band, especially covering for somebody else,’ and this and that.”
“And I brought it up to Vinnie one time…he didn’t remember it. … But I don’t know if there’s any truth to that.”
Hagar previously revealed that Pantera wasn’t the only band he was asked to join in a 2011 interview with Forbes.
“I was asked at one time to be in Motley Crue…I was asked at one time to be in Pantera by their [managers]. I was asked to be in Velvet Revolver when Scott Weiland quit and went back to the Stone Temple Pilots,” he said at the time.
Love Metal?
Get the latest Metal news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
He continued: “I was waiting to be asked to be in Led Zeppelin to say no, since they were the greatest band on earth and no could replace Robert Plant. I was asked to be in Aerosmith and I said no. Certain bands and certain [frontman] singers are more difficult to replace than others. Steven Tyler and that band have stayed together for [40] years, and you don’t want to walk into something like that.”
Check out Sammy Hagar discussing joining Pantera:
View this post on Instagram
