Sammy Hagar on Steven Tyler’s Retirement: He Did “What a Lot of Other Motherf*ckers Should Have”

Okay, so not everything that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has done in his life is exactly honorable. Or moral. Or legal (allegedly). But Sammy Hagar thinks that Tyler retiring because of his vocal injury last September is honorable.

In comments to the crowd at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI over the weekend (as reported on by Metal Injection) Hagar commended Aerosmith for their decision to retire following his fractured larynx that he suffered in September 2023, from which he is not expected to fully recover. Hagar also pointed out that a lot of other bands would do well to consider doing the same thing:

“It’s a sad thing, but honest to God, my hat goes off to one of the greatest rock and roll singers of all time, Mister Steven Tyler, for saying, ‘I can’t sing anymore. I quit.’ Fuck yes. Listen, that’s honorable. That’s fucking honorable. The day I can’t sing anymore, I will fucking do the same thing. And that’s what a lot of other motherfuckers should have did a long time ago.”

I mean, Hagar isn’t exactly wrong. I mean, okay, maybe he’s wrong about Tyler being one of the greatest rock and roll singers of all time, but he’s right about a lot of bands needing to throw in the towel already.

Hard rock and heavy metal have been around long enough that some of these singers are well into their twilight years and can’t sing their own songs anymore. Why does everyone feel the need to keep going until they’re 99 and just drop dead right there on the stage? Although, not going to lie, that would be the most metal thing to ever happen at a concert.