By: Brady Lavin
It’s quite rare to hear someone say, “Screw it, kid. Don’t follow your dreams, make a lot of money!” Most career advice given to recent high school graduates and college students usually focuses on doing what you love, following your heart, and money that the whole money/financial security thing will figure itself out.
It may seem like fluff, because look at all these wealthy lawyers and bankers and investment wizards. They surely didn’t dream of becoming these things when they were playing on the swing set at recess. They probably dreamed of being firefighters, rock stars, and ballerinas. Somewhere along the way, those kids lost whatever passion they had and pursued lives of financial stability instead. This is where they split from people like Sammy Hagar, of Van Halen, Montrose, and solo career fame.
“I only do things that I’m passionate about, that’s all I can do. I would never do anything for any other reason, other than to help out somebody else,” the Red Rocker said in an interview with Guitar International. Hagar has always followed the music, playing what turns him on exclusively.
When you lose the passion, however, there is a reason for that. According to Sammy, you just have to find what the next thing is. “I think one thing that can help people that are losing their passion, is that you’ve got to make changes when it’s called for. You can’t keep trying to beat the same dog to death.”
Throughout his career, Sammy Hagar has had numerous changes, going from being a solo artist to Montrose to going solo again to Van Halen to the Wabos to his new band, Chickenfoot. When things would get stale he would move on, or since he’s Sammy Hagar, he “usually got thrown out.”
Again, it all comes back to being passionate. Sammy Hagar wanted a new band after the Wabos, so he felt that he might as well play with his favorite players. “The first guys in my mind were Mike, Chad and Joe, cut and fucking dry. These are the guys I wanted to play with. When Joe accepted it was the biggest freakazoid. Chad, Mike and I have been jamming for years, and when we decided to do this I said, ‘I’m calling Joe, he’s my fucking favorite.’”
So there it is, kids, from the mouth of the Red Rocker himself. You SHOULD follow your dreams. Your uncle’s advice isn’t bullshit, even though he’s a garbage man. If Sammy Hagar would turn down a couple million for clubbing baby seals, maybe you should turn down a few hundred thousand a year for defending wealthy and unscrupulous businesspeople in court in favor of something that turns you on.
Read the full Sammy Hagar interview here.
