Sammy Hagar recently commented on Alex Van Halen’s unwillingness to tour, saying he understood the drummer’s decision.

Speaking toAZ Central about his upcoming “Best of All Worlds” tour, featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony, and drummer Jason Bonham, the former Van Halen vocalist touched on Alex Van Halen’s absence from the tour. Hagar noted he couldn’t wait forever for the drummer to come around, but understood his absence:

“Mike and I, 20 years ago, did a reunion. And it’s been 20 years this year. I’m going, I don’t have another 20 years to be waiting on Alex Van Halen, who’s the only guy left. So he didn’t want to do it? You know, he, I guess, just doesn’t like playing without his brother. Don’t blame him. God bless him.”

Sammy Hagar then praised drummer Jason Bonham while noting that his father, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham “was Alex’s hero.” The singer said: “Jason plays just like his dad. So it’s pretty much the music is gonna be served as good as it can be served today.”

John Bonham was indeed Alex’s hero, as witnessed by Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar. In a recent interview, the duo reflected on Alex Van Halen’s maddening attempt to acquire John Bonham’s signature sound. “Alex was always chasing one thing throughout all of this — John Bonham’s snare drum sound”, Anthony said. “And kick”, Hagar added.

Anthony continued: “You wouldn’t believe how many people he drove nuts. There would be cases of snare drums coming in, all the time. Al definitely is a drummer that had a very unique drum sound, especially the snare. To me, he had the best snare sound in all of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Hagar agreed with the previous point, saying: “Absolutely the most identifiable. I could tell Al the second the drums had come in. You could tell Eddie’s guitar sound — in Van Halen, everybody had an identity. Roth had it, [Anthony] had that vocal identity, but Al’s drum sound — he really chased it.”