Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Sammy Hagar says Pantera’s manager asked him to be the band’s singer a while back
Pantera is known as one of the most respected and important bands in metal music. Although the band became known for their groove metal style, their music and style was initially glam metal.
This fact provides some softening to the story that Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar told a recent interview on SiriusXM radio that he was considered to be the lead singer of Pantera, apparently to replace Philip Anselmo, who had overdosed on heroin in 1996 and was hospitalised.
“This was before I actually became friends with Vinnie Paul. And the manager said Pantera … wanted me to be the lead singer of their band. And he asked me, ‘Would you be interested?’ And I said, ‘No, not after leaving Van Halen in 1996. I’m not gonna join another band, especially covering for somebody else,’ and this and that”, Hagar says.
Hagar says that Vinnie Paul did not recall this incident when he told it to the drummer later. Blabbermouth notes that Hagar had also told the story previously during an interview with Forbes back in 2011.