Carmel Magazine

Number 4 on the New York Times best seller list (by contrast, Hagar's nemesis and Van Halen predecessor David Lee "Diamond Dave" Roth's 1997 autobiography "Crazy From the Heat" failed to chart). It seems everything the Red Rocker touches turns to gold. Carmel Roots Samuel Roy Hagar was born October 13, 1947 while his parents were living in Salinas. "My dad was trying to make it as a pro fighter," Hagar remembers. "Just like musicians, in order to get gigs, fighters can't work a regular day job, so he and my mom were in the fields picking vegetables." A 188-pound Irish Bantamweight, Bobby Hagar found plenty of bouts, but that wasn't enough to support his family, so the Hagars moved to Fontana, California, where he found a steady job. Though young Sammy was only 2 when he left, he retains sense memories of his birth- place: "The smell in the air around Monterey at certain times of the year puts me in Déjà vu," he says. Not long after he got his first taste of rock fame (and money), Hagar invested in Carmel property. "My wife and I were staying at the Highlands Inn," he recalls. "While jogging on Spindrift Road I saw the most amazing house. It was the coolest I'd ever seen. " The home was a Mark Mills- designed structure known as "Copper Spine House." The property was lost in the shuffle of a divorce years ago, and it's since been demolished, but Hagar has fond memories of living in Carmel. "I would still live there if things had turned out differently," he says. "It's a very spiritual place, espe- cially the closer you get to Big Sur." A dyed-in-the-wool car nut, he makes the pilgrimage to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance when his schedule permits. "I'm always look- ing for an excuse to go to Carmel," he says. Supremely outgoing, gregarious and approachable, Hagar makes friends easily. One pal is Monterey restaurateur John Pisto. The two met when the rocker appeared on Pisto's long-running cable cooking show, "Monterey's Cookin'." Hagar was then promoting his Cabo Wabo brand tequila. Both lovers of fine food and drink, the pair hit it off immediately. "John and I have had huge fun over the years," Hagar says. "He's a blast. I love that guy." Taking Care of Business Even if they don't make a deal with the devil, many rock stars end up broke, victim to management greed, living well above their means—or all. Sammy Hagar is a rare exception: a thriving musician who has parlayed his earnings into one successful conventional business venture after another. He C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4 97 Like Jimmy Buffett, another musician/entrepreneur, Hagar created a lifestyle brand associated with sunny beaches, music and laid-back good times. "I've never started a business thinking, 'Oh, I'm gonna make money off of this.' All my ideas come from sheer enthusiasm." Hagar has never been far from the hit record charts, and has always been top-of-mind to his multitude of fans, known as "Red Heads." Photo: Courtesy of Meat & Potatoes Continued from page 94

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