Samuel Roy Hagar
(born October 13, 1947),
also known as
the Red Rocker,
is an American singer,
songwriter,
guitarist,
entrepreneur,
and philanthropist.
He rose to prominence
in the early 1970s
with the
hard rock band
Montrose
before launching a
successful solo career,
scoring a hit in 1984 with
"I Can't Drive 55".
He enjoyed
further commercial success
as the
lead vocalist
of
Van Halen
from
1985 through 1996,
and
from
2003 to 2005.
In 2007
Hagar was inducted into
the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame
as a member of
Van Halen.
His musical style
primarily consists of
hard rock
and
heavy metal.
A lifelong entrepreneur,
Hagar has founded
four spirits brands
and 13 restaurants.
In 2008,
with his wife,
Kari Hagar,
he founded a
private non-profit
focused on
children's causes
and hunger relief,
the Hagar Family Foundation.
The Essential Red Collection
is a
greatest hits album
by
It includes some
of his early works,
from
"Bad Motor Scooter"
with Montrose,
released demos,
film soundtrack songs
to more recent material.
It was released in 2004
on Hip-O Records.
It excludes songs
from his time with
Van Halen.
