Sammy Hagar

Bio:
Sammy Hagar (born Samuel Roy Hagar in Salinas, California, on October 13, 1947) is an American rock singer, guitarist, musician, and songwriter. He has fronted several bands throughout his career, most notably Van Halen. Sammy got his start with a band named Montrose in the 1970s before launching a solo career in 1976, releasing one of his biggest hits to date, “I Can’t Drive 55.” He joined Van Halen in 1985, taking David Lee Roth‘s place as lead singer and leading the band to four No. 1 albums. Personal conflicts within the band led to Sammy’s departure in 1996, but he rejoined the group in 2004. The issues couldn’t be completely resolved, though, and Sammy once again parted ways with the group. He is currently working with four different bands: Chickenfoot, The Circle, The Waboritas, and Los Tres Gusanos.

Best Known For:
Sammy is best known for being the lead singer of Van Halen from 1985-1996, replacing David Lee Roth as frontman.

Personal Life:
After divorcing his first wife, Betsy Berardi, in 1994, Sammy married his current wife, Kari Karte-Hagar, in 1995. He had two sons with Betsy, Aaron and Andrew, and has two daughters with Kari, Kama and Samantha. His permanent residence is near Corte Madera, Calif., but he has homes in other parts of California as well as in Mexico and Hawaii.