Sammy Hagar Tells Story Of Sneaking In Rolling Stones’ First US Show

The Red Rocker recalls the events when he sneaked into the Rolling Stones’ first-ever show in the US back in 1964. Hagar adds that it was his first-ever experience of a rock concert.

Hagar found himself at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California on June 5, 1964, at an event by local radio station KMEN. The future VH frontman shared the story to Uncle Joe Benson on the Ultimate Classic Rock Nights radio program.

“We didn’t have any money, I’d never heard of a rock concert,” Hagar started. “So my buddy, he had a car, he said, ‘Let’s go!’ We’re standing at the backdoor. All of a sudden a school bus pulls up – a little old funky school bus – and here comes the Rolling Stones and George Babcock, walking out the bus. … We walked right in with them, right behind them. Straight in with the Stones, right to the backstage, man! And that was the first real concert I saw.”

Hagar also shared his funny experience of buying his first-ever record. Hagar said, “I bought the Elvis Presley EP that had ‘A Big Hunk o’ Love,’ I think, and ‘All Shook Up’ and one other song on it. I bought the damn EP – I had a paper route, I stopped and I bought it, and I didn’t have a record player. Duh!”