Alright, rock fans—this one’s got riffs, drama, and enough ego collisions to make an entire soap opera look tame. We’re talking about Michael Anthony, the backbone bassist of Van Halen, who recalled David Lee Roth’s departure.
In a YouTube video on Sammy Hagar’s own channel, Michael Anthony talked about 5150 on its 39th anniversary. He also opened up about the post-David Lee Roth transition and how the album was made.
We’re talking 5150, which is Van Halen’s first album with Sammy. But more than that, we’re talking about Michael’s place in all this. Because this wasn’t just “new singer, new songs.” This was new chapter, new identity, and let’s be real, a new power dynamic.
Once Roth left, things shifted, and not just musically. In the new video, Michael talks about how everyone came together after the bad breakup with David Lee Roth. And yeah, Sammy Hagar came in like a rocket. He was loud, confident, and he fit. But there were wounds—personal ones Roth’s departure, and the vibe in the band changed.
