Sammy Hagar has insisted that Eddie Van Halen's struggle with addiction doomed his 2004 reunion tour with legendary hard rock group Van Halen.
The singer, often called 'The Red Rocker', joined the band after original frontman David Lee Roth departed in the mid-1980s and sang lead on many of the group's biggest hits including 'Why Can't This Be Love' and 'Right Now'.
During an appearance on HLN's Dr Drew, the frontman revealed that Eddie didn't follow the example of his brother Alex, who Hagar claimed sought treatment for substance abuse following the '5150 Tour' more than two decades ago.
"Al went to rehab and, as far as I know, never drank again," he said. "Eddie didn't do that and [so he] keeps falling down and would be in denial."
The musician continued: "The [2004] reunion was horrible. He was in really bad shape. It broke my heart."
Hagar went on to express optimism over Eddie's current condition, but cautioned that addiction can always reoccur.
"I love Ed and I heard he's doing great again, but, you know, Ed goes up and down," the star remarked. "He's got the biggest heart in the world... I love the great days of Van Halen. The greatest thing in my musical career was being a part of Van Halen."
Last month, Hagar claimed that Van Halen's reunion with Roth is crumbling due to band tensions.
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Watch Van Halen perform 'Right Now' below:
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