Sammy Hagar Clarifies COVID-19 Lockdown Comments

Update: Sammy Hagar has clarified his remarks in a statement to Rolling Stone. He states: Hey, Sammy here. Earlier in the week, Rolling Stone ran a compilation piece from their Quarantine Q&A series. I did that interview a month and a half ago, things change very fast right now, so I wanted to clarify and put a few things into context now.

I did that interview May 8th when we were already several weeks into the stay-at-home, which my family and I took very seriously, and things were starting to look up, the curve was beginning flattening. So when I was asked if I’d be comfortable enough to get back on stage before a vaccine was out, I was cautiously optimistic. I said, “Yeah, not too soon. I want to make sure it’s not escalating. When it’s declining and seems to be going away.”

Big picture, it’s about getting back to work in a safe and responsible way and getting this economy rolling again. I will do my part. I stand by that. I employ 200 people directly and when we tour even more. Like everything today, it’s a watch and see over the next few months but we remain cautiously optimistic that with the right improvements and safety measures in place, we might be able to play shows this year. That said, as things change, for the better or worse, we will appropriately adjust our plans.

As states around the U.S. begin entering new phases in their pandemic recovery, there's still a level of risk when it comes to going out in public. While some are still staying home as much as possible, others, like Sammy Hagar, would rather take such risks instead of staying in quarantine mode.

The majority of concert tours are still being canceled throughout the remainder of 2020, but there are some experiments with live shows taking place around the world, like drive-in shows. Hagar told Rolling Stone that he'd be fine with playing a concert before a vaccine is available for Covid-19.

"I’m going to make a radical statement here. This is hard to say without stirring somebody up, but truthfully, I’d rather personally get sick and even die, if that’s what it takes," he proclaimed.

"We have to save the world and this country from this economic thing that’s going to kill more people in the long run. I would rather see everyone go back to work," the rocker continued. "If some of us have to sacrifice on that, OK. I will die for my children and my grandchildren to have a life anywhere close to the life that I had in this wonderful country."

Though Hagar assured he will not be careless and will continue to play things safely in order to prevent spreading the virus, he believes everyone has to make sacrifices. "I mean, how many people die on the Earth every day? I have no idea. I’m sorry to say it, but we all gotta die, man."

Back in May, Hagar was already discussing the possibility of returning to the stage. At that point, he commented, “I want to make sure it’s not escalating. When it’s declining and seems to be going away. I mean, it’s the flu, I guess, unless there is something I don’t know … It’s like the cold or pneumonia. Someone is always getting something.”

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