In a recent interview with Billboard magazine, Eddie Van Halen disrespected bassist Michael Anthony’s (former Van Halen member) guitar playing and singing abilities. “Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play. Before we’d go on tour, he’d come over with a video camera and I’d have to show him how to play all the parts,” Van Halen told the magazine. He also compared Michael Anthony’s singing to a “piccolo trumpet.” After Van Halen’s interview was made public, Sammy Hagar rushed to the defense of Michael Anthony, who is now his Chickenfoot bandmate. “For Eddie to say he had to show him what to play and then teach him all those songs, that’s the biggest line of bullshit in my life. I was in that band for eleven years, there was never a video camera involved of Eddie showing [Michael Anthony] what to play,” Hagar stated during his video entitled “In Defense of Mikey.”
The former Van Halen frontman also said it was unfair for Eddie to go after Michael Anthony, giving the fact that he was so loyal to Van Halen. “It’s really irritating to see them go after Mikey. Mikey didn’t do anything- ever, to Van Halen. Mikey was the most loyal guy there at rehearsal, and the last guy to leave. One-hundred percent dedicated, never did anything to hurt those guys. They tried to hurt him again and again and again,” Hagar explained. Hagar didn’t hesitate to call Michael Anthony “one of the greatest rock and roll bass players ever.” The rocker added,”Michael Anthony is top five rock and roll bass players in the world, any bass player would tell you.” Not only did Hagar call Michael Anthony a great guitar player, but he also called him the “greatest guy on the planet.”
Before his video message to Van Halen ended, Hagar took one last shot at Eddie Van Halen. “Michael Anthony is a bad motherf***er. F**k you Eddie Van Halen for saying that about Mikey. You’re a liar,” Hagar said. Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985 as David Lee Roth’s replacement. After eleven years at the frontman of Van Halen, Hagar left the band in 1996. In 2003, Hagar returned to Van Halen for a two-year reunion. The rocker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen.