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The Reign of the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar's Empire Goes Way Beyond Music B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D M any believe that Delta bluesman Robert John- son's "Crossroads Blues" is a recounting of a Faustian bargain, giving his soul to the Devil in exchange for extraordinary musical talent. The story goes that Satan granted Johnson amazing abilities but as the guitarist was enjoying the ben- efits of his newfound powers two years later, el Diablo reached out and snatched his life. The road of rock-and-roll history is littered with similar tales. Like Johnson, many performers have paid the ulti- mate price: Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Cobain and Winehouse are just a few of the better-known examples. Some have simply faded away. But there's one guy who's been perched at the crest of rock fame for more than 40 years. He got there himself, without making a deal with Beelzebub, by applying his own talent and a fiercely focused work ethic. That man is Sammy Hagar, AKA "The Red Rocker." Sporting a distinctive unruly mop of blonde curls, this always grinning, always upbeat singer entered the limelight in the early 1970s as a member of California rock band Montrose, fronted HSAS, a supergroup that also included Journey guitarist Neil Schon, then became an integral part of the biggest arena act on the planet in 1985 when he joined Van Halen — with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At 67, he's still rockin', bringing his high-energy, kickin'-ass-and-takin'-names perform- ance style to not one but two bands: Chickenfoot and The Circle. 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." Indeed, the stellar solo career he's also enjoyed would be achievement enough for most people. But he's not "most people." He gives 120% to everything he does along with passion, drive, commitment and unswerving certainty of success. Red Head or not, it would be diffi- cult to find an American who doesn't know at least one of his songs: "Bad Motor Scooter," "Rock Candy," "Why Can't This be Love," "There's Only One Way to Rock," "Right Now," and his love song to going fast: "I Can't Drive 55." And he's sold a lot of records along the way: before Van Halen, he sang on three Gold- and three Platinum-selling albums. The records he made with Van Halen also went Platinum. Twenty-seven times over. True to that awesome work ethic and drive to succeed, Hagar isn't only a prodigious and prosperous rock-and-roll musician. He's also a wildly suc- cessful businessman, with forays into real estate, nightclubs, mountain bikes, restaurants and liquor. His 2011 memoir, "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock," penned with respected rock writer Joel Selvin, debuted at 94 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 Sammy Hagar is a huge success in both music and business. But he's a businessman with a conscience: "I very rarely do things simply for financial reasons. That's not who I want to be in life." Photo: Randee St. Nicholas Continued on page 97