Sammy Hagar took to Facebook on Thursday to point out what iHeartRadio.ca readers already knew – his comments about performing during the COVID-19 pandemic were not new. "I wanted to clarify and put a few things into context now," he wrote.
The 72-year-old rocker made headlines earlier this week for saying he would be willing to “get sick and even personally die” if it meant being able to perform on stage again.
Most media outlets erroneously reported Hagar’s comments as if they were new since Rolling Stone had rehashed them in a special post on Tuesday. But, in fact (and as reported here), Hagar’s remarks were first published by Rolling Stone back on May 18.
“I did that interview a month and a half ago,” the former Van Halen frontman wrote on Facebook. “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 to flatten.
“So when I was asked if I’d be comfortable enough to get back onstage 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.’”
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Hagar added: "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.”
Hagar said he remains “cautiously optimistic” he will be able to play some shows this year “with the right improvements and safety measures in place.”
But, he added, “that said, as things change, for the better or worse, we will appropriately adjust our plans.”