Sammy Hagar Forgets Lyrics To Classic Song

Sammy Hagar has been entertaining us for decades, with his boundless energy and iconic voice. But even rock legends are human. At this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony in Cleveland on October 19th, Sammy Hagar inducted Foreigner into the Rock Hall.

The night was a star-studded tribute. Demi Lovato kicked things off with a powerhouse performance of ‘Feels Like the First Time,’ backed by Slash on guitar, Chad Smith on drums, and Foreigner’s current touring lineup. Then came Sammy’s big moment with ‘Hot Blooded.’” Sammy had an embarrassing moment on stage as he forgot the lyrics mid-song.

Sammy took the stage to sing lead on ‘Hot Blooded,’ but the lyrics didn’t quite follow him to the stage. In a newly released video, Hagar explained that he had “been writing that speech for three weeks” prior to the ceremony.

This isn’t the first time Sammy’s had a Hall of Fame moment, either. Let’s not forget that back in 2007, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame himself as part of Van Halen. That night, he performed classics like ‘Why Can’t This Be Love’ and ‘Best of Both Worlds.’ Sammy knows how to own a stage—even when things don’t go perfectly.”

In a new video, Hagar explained that he had “been writing that speech for three weeks” prior to the ceremony.

“I changed the speech probably 20 times, even right till when I was standing backstage getting ready to go on,” he said. “I’m talking about… [They told me], ‘You’ve got three minutes.’ I kept reading it over again. I said, ‘Take this part out. If you put it up, I might say it, and I don’t wanna say it.’ So I re-edited it one more time.

“I was a wreck,” he admitted. “I really wanted to do ’em proud. When it was done, I was so damn relieved. When I got on stage to sing ‘Hot Blooded’, I was, like, ‘Yes! That’s what I do.’”

Regarding his performance of “Hot Blooded”, Hagar said: “‘Hot Blooded’, it sounds like such a simple little song. It is tricky as hell lyrically. ‘I got a fever of 103. I got a fever inside of me.’ That’s very subtle, and you’re supposed to do it. Well, I didn’t. I said the wrong verse. I was saying, ‘I got a fever of 103.’ I said, ‘I got a fever burning inside of me.’ And I went, ‘Damn! Blew one already.’

“So I did look at the prompter a couple of times,” he added. “I’m disappointed with myself for that, but I pulled it off.”