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10/13 TIMH The Red Rocker

+13 HS
Ludwig Yards's picture
October 13, 2016 at 7:42am
106 Comments

Samuel Roy Hagar was born in 1947 and grew up in Salinas and Fontana, California. For those who don’t know, he’s really lived an interesting life. Most know him as a musician, and mostly as Van Halen ‘s replacement for DLR. He grew up poor, had an alcoholic father, and was at times homeless after his mother left his father. But at 68 years old, he’s smiling all the time, and for good reason. He’s livin’ a great life. 

Musically, his first major success was in 1973 when he joined the band Montrose, where he wrote his first song – ‘Bad Motor Scooter’. After 2 albums he left for a solo career, which off and on, has continued up to present day. As a solo artist, he’s written and performed numerous hits including the monster hit ‘I Can’t Drive 55’. It is less well known that he wrote and first recorded ‘I’ve Done Everything For You’ before Rick Springfield made a hit of it. And starting in 1985 he began his hugely successful run in Van Halen where he led the group to megastar status’. Currently, he is in Chickenfoot, with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith, and the supergroup coverband, The Circle, with Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson.

And as successful as he’s been as a musician, he’s been even more successful as a businessman. In the '80s he started Fire Chief Inc., which became the second-largest fire sprinkler company in America, then opened a bike store - Sausalito Cyclery- in 1987, which was doing $4 million in annual sales before he sold it. In the ‘90s he started his own tequila brand - Cabo Wabo – which he then sold for $91 million in 2010. He owns numerous restaurants, including Cabo Wabo Cantinas, Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill restaurants, and El Paseo restaurant. He also produces Sammy's Beach Bar Rum and recently announced he’s going back into the tequila business. His autobiography - Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock – hit #1 on the NY Times Bestseller list in 2011.

Hagar has been married twice and has four children between the two. He has a passion for cars and owns dozens including 7 Ferraris, one of which is a 1.3 million custom-built, individually-fitted, LaFerrari. Happy happy, Sammy. 

 

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