Wolfgang Van Halen told fans to stop arguing over David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, saying the “war” over which Van Halen singer did a better job was “dumb.”

Even though they toured together in 2002, the two frontmen have spent time attacking each other in the media, fueling the never-ending debate about who was the greatest.

“They both kick ass. The war is dumb,” Eddie Van Halen’s son tweeted in response to a follower who later deleted the comment. “Enjoy whatever you want and don’t hate someone else if they don’t like what you like. ... The same guy wrote the music too, so you’re doing yourself a disservice for not at the very least checking the other side out.”

It’s not the first time the bassist played peacemaker on social media: Last year, he spoke out after pop star Billie Eilish said she’d never heard of Van Halen. Responding to critical comments from the band’s fans, Wolfgang tweeted, “If you haven’t heard of @billieeilish, go check her out. She’s cool. If you haven’t heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. They’re cool too. Music is supposed to bring us together, not divide us. Listen to what you want and don’t shame others for not knowing what you like."

Perhaps his interest in keeping the peace stems from his own interests as he gears up to release his long-awaited solo album. In July, he noted, “Being who I am, I think people at the least will be interested in what my work will sound like, which is very nice. But on the other hand, if it’s not exactly what they want to hear or if I don’t try to sound ‘Van Halen-y’ enough for them, they’ll hate me and won’t give me the time of day. I’m fully prepared for a wave of hate when my music releases, because it won’t be what people think it’ll be."

“I’m not trying to be my father," Wolfgang added. "I’m trying to be me.”

 

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