Sammy Hagar discussed the importance of the earliest musical inspirations in his ‘Storytime with Sammy Hagar‘ in one of the show’s early episodes.
Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck’s musicality and playing techniques, according to Hagar, struck him more than the star power of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Jagger’s singing and Richards’ playing as a duo being huge stars on stage motivated him to establish his own style when he was determined to succeed in the music business.
Hagar is not ashamed to acknowledge that he has been influenced by many artists throughout the years, including Pink Floyd and Elvis Presley. But once he heard Steward and Beck’s song “Truth,” everything changed for the artist because he was intrigued by their skill and style, which had a greater impact on his selections regarding his musical preferences.
Hagar said,
“I’ve been influenced my whole life by other musicians and rockstars. When I was nobody, the first person to impress me was Elvis Presley; I was four or five years old, and I was like, ‘Wow, this dude got my sisters excited,’ you know? But when I started really thinking about playing music and singing, it was like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. I wanted to play guitar like Keith and sing like Mick. I was always the guy that sang and played guitar. I saw the two guys being the big stars and said, ‘I wanna be those guys but together.’”
That’s when he added, “And then I saw Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck and the ‘Truth’ record, which had a huge influence on me, and I wanted to play like Jeff Beck and sing like Rod Stewart. And then along comes a guy like David Bowie and do something ‘Wow,’ and I got into glitter rock for fifteen minutes. And stuff didn’t work well walking down the street; it worked out good on stage, not in the streets.”
“But it still goes on today. Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Otis Redding, those guys have had more influence on my singing style than Mick Jagger and those guys. I wanted to be a blues singer. Everyone has influenced me, I mean right up to Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who. Any great band has influenced me; I’m a sponge.”
Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Eddie Van Halen are just a few of the musicians Hagar has cited as influences for his music and style. Hagar is a noteworthy artist in his own right due to the fact that his distinctive style and sound are a result of both his experiences and personal preferences. Yet, he preferred Rod and Jeff over Jagger or Richards when it came to selecting to incorporate the influence into his songs.
