John Mayer pays tribute to Sammy Hagar at Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

Rocker Sammy Hagar leaves his mark on Hollywood with the help of his friend John Mayer.

The Van Halen star, 76, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, April 30, and was honored in a speech by his friend Mayer.

As you can see, I'm a Van Halen fan, the guitarist said, pointing to his t-shirt while putting on his reading glasses. But I'm even more of a Sammy Hagar fan.”

Mayer, 46, described how the two first met, right after joining Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead offshoot he joined in 2015.

“Sammy's studio was down the street from Bob Weir's. He and Bob were already good friends. Sammy came to watch the rehearsal. During a break, I sat down at the piano and started playing “Dreams” 5150 [Van Halen] album and Sammy sat next to me and started singing the tune with me the first time we met. It was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. From there, we ran off as friends. »

The musician explained how he found a kindred spirit in Hagar as he took on his new role in Dead & Co., just as Hagar did when he replaced David Lee Roth on Van Halen in 1985.

“Sammy understood my nervousness about joining an already established legendary rock band, and he was incredibly supportive,” Mayer recalls. “It's not easy to step into a position that the public isn't quite ready to accept, and Sammy knew that and he gave me great comfort in his instant friendship, kindness and in leaving him to drive his Lotus Esprit around the neighborhood alone without me even thinking twice.”

“Sammy shares his toys,” he added with a laugh.

Mayer continued: “Sammy was already a successful artist in his own right. When he was asked to be the frontman for Van Halen, he certainly didn't need to join another band to continue making records in success. I think the reason he took their offer was for the same reason he does anything because it seemed like fun. Sammy has the kind of fun that we only dream of. to allow ourselves, if only we could get out of our own way and just enjoy the fact that we are alive and on this planet for a relative wink.

He continued, jokingly addressing the extent of Hagar's lyrics “Even when he's a horndog, he's still monogamous”, his bands after his time in Van Halen and the launch of his tequila brand. “In a world that favors ruthless hustles and cold analysis, Sammy Hagar proves that living life with generosity, curiosity and kindness pays off in every way imaginable,” Mayer told the crowd.

For Hagar, keeping busy and having a good time remains at the center of everything. As Mayer said: “Every time I think of him, a thought comes to mind that I'd like to share with you today. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, Sammy Hagar is having fun much more than you. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, my friend, I love you.

While accepting the accolades, Hagar made friends and family laugh by revealing that “that old man” often answers Mayer's phone calls shirtless.

“By the way, John Mayer FaceTimes me in the car, this handsome devil. Here I am sitting at home in a bathing suit, no shirt at my age. He FaceTimes me trying to tell me how point a song that is cool he listens to what I wrote or sang [is] …he goes and says all these wonderful things. Can you imagine, I'm sitting here, this old man here, it's John Mayer on the phone telling me, 'You're the best, man.' I love you man! Your music changed my life! » Imagine that, okay?! That’s what I have to put up with, stuff like that.”

The longtime friends have already performed together several times and played hits like Van Halen's Finish What Ya Started and Mayers Queen of California. Before they knew each other, Mayer often covered the band's “Panama” on his Continuum tour in 2008.

In 2017, both interviewed each other for AXS TVs Rock & roll road trip with Sammy Hagarbefore the annual Hagars Acoustics-4-A-Cure concert.

After the ceremony, Hagar told PEOPLE her own version of her first meeting with Mayer. “The first day of rehearsal I had to go there because I'm a big fan, their studio is always right across the street from mine. So I went there. Me and him sat down, he just plays some piano, I start singing he went to Cabo, we played in Cabo, I played with him and the Dead a million times, he did my job. Rock & Roll Road Trip. He did my Acoustic-4-A-Cure…”

Hagar concluded: “Call John and he shows up.”

Hagar's star-studded ceremony also included remarks from her longtime manager, Tom Consolo, and was hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is pleased to honor rock legend Sammy Hagar for his contributions to the world of Rock & Roll music,” Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in a statement. From his humble beginnings in Fontana, California, to his walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a young boy, he has truly come a long way!”

Hagar was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Van Halen in 2007 and has accumulated 25 platinum albums and sales exceeding 50 million worldwide.

In May, he is preparing to launch Sammys Island at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, and Stage Red, a performance venue renamed in his honor, will open June 15 in his hometown of Fontana, California.

The rocker is currently set to embark on his The Best of All Worlds tour this summer with Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham.

“It’s crazy to think that it will be 20 years since Mikey and I played many of these songs with Van Halen on the 2004 Best of Both Worlds Tour,” Hagar said in a statement. With Joe on board, we can dive deeper into those years, which will be really cool for the fans and for us. »