Van Halen Roll With Sammy

It's official: Sammy Hagar is again the singer for Van Halen . . . at least for the band's upcoming summer tour. Van Halen announced twenty-eight North American dates, their first since singer Gary Cherone split in 1999 and their first with Hagar in almost a decade.

The band will release a greatest hits album in June featuring the aptly titled new single "It's About Time," featuring Hagar.

Hagar replaced original singer David Lee Roth in 1985 and fronted the band through 1996, when he and guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony began a public squabble over whether Hagar quit or was fired.

Hagar also waged press battles with Roth, who has also been recently flirting with returning to Van Halen, but the two buried the hatchet and toured together in 2002.

Eddie Van Halen was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2001, but announced his complete recovery the following year. He has been working on songs for the follow-up to 1998's Van Halen III.

Van Halen tour dates:

6/11: Greensboro, NC, Greensboro Coliseum
6/13: Hershey, PA, Hershey Park Stadium
6/16: Philadelphia, Wachovia Center
6/19: Worcester, MA, Worcester Centrum
6/22: East Rutherford, NJ, Continental Arena
6/25: Hartford, CT, Hartford Civic Center
6/26: Albany, NY, Pepsi Center
6/28: Washington, DC, MCI Center
7/1: Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena
7/2: Cleveland, Gund Arena
7/3: Toronto, Air Canada Center
7/6: Columbus, OH, Schottenstein Center
7/7: Indianapolis, IN, Conseco Fieldhouse
7/10: Detroit, Joe Louis Arena
7/11: Auburn Hills, MI, The Palace at Auburn Hills
7/19: Chicago, TBD
7/22: St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center
7/26: Kansas City, MO, Kemper Arena
7/28: St. Louis, MO, Savvis Center
7/31: Omaha, NE, Qwest Center
8/1: Denver, Pepsi Center
8/5: Phoenix, America West Arena
8/7: Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay Events Center
8/10: San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion
8/11: Sacramento, CA, ARCO Arena
8/13: Oakland, CA, Oakland Arena
8/14: Fresno, CA, Save Mart Arena
8/19: Los Angeles, Staples Center

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Song Stories

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

More Song Stories entries »

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