Fans criticized Sammy Hagar on Instagram after he parted ways with Jason Bonham.
The Red Rocker posted a video from a recent rehearsal, captioning it, “My partner in crime Beechnut, Cabo Wabo, taco eaten, tequila, drinking buddy, Michael Anthony, rehearsing with the band we are jamming with at halftime at the Allegiant Stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos game tomorrow. See you there.”
Fans took to the comment section to express their anger at Hagar for firing Bonham. One fan said, “Sam canned him. He’s played with Sammy for ten years. He said that really hurt.”
Another fan asked, “Why did you let Jason go?” to which one user replied, “Ego.” However, some defended Hagar, with one commenter saying, “Man there is a lot complaining on here today. Hang in there Sammy and Mike you can choose and do as you please. Jason is going to be ok.”
One fan expressed disappointment, writing, “You lost me Sammy…life long fan…letting Jason go the way you did was wrong. Did you can him because he stopped drinking?”
In a recent conversation with Ultimate Classic Rock, Jason Bonham opened up about his upset over being let go from Hagar’s band. He shared, “Sammy rang me awhile ago. He was asking about my mom, but then he said, ‘Y’know, I’m not gonna do much next year,’ blah, blah blah, ‘and I’m gonna go with Kenny.’ I was a little shocked, I must say. I’d be lying to you if I wasn’t a little sad, because we were on fire at the end of the tour. And I got a little upset. That was strange, after 10 years of being with him.”
The drummer continued, “Listen, I love the guy to bits. I don’t wish him any ill. I still speak to him. Honestly, the guy has taught me so much – about business, being positive. I’m an English guy; I can be really negative half the time. Even if the sun is shining, ‘but it could rain.’ He really helped me in that aspect big-time, and business sense and never taking no for an answer, always believing in yourself.”
Bonham added in a comment under Hagar’s post, “I had always planned to come back once mom was better. She is home now so I was always supposed to be doing more shows but he decided to use Kenny. I gotta say I was devastated after doing 25 of those big shows this summer then holding dates in April / May July Aug for Sam to be let go was heartbreaking.”
In September, Bonham missed the last four dates on Hagar’s tour to care for his mother. Kenny Aronoff filled in for him during those shows.
