The "Best of All Worlds"

For this week's Monday Motivation I would like to talk about Sammy Hagar. Along with Michael Anthony (Original bass player for Van Halen) Joe Satriani, and Jason Bonham (Son of Led Zeppelin Drummer John Bonham) Sammy is touring the world paying tribute to the music of Van Halen. There are basically two eras of Van Halen. The First era of the band was fronted by David Lee Roth.? The second era of the band was fronted by Sammy Hagar. The guitar player for Van Halen was always Eddie Van Halen, who changed the way millions of music enthusiasts play the instrument. Eddie was an icon to legions of fans and propelled Van Halen to the level of one of the greatest rock bands in history. Eddie passed away in 2020 from cancer.?

For three years the remaining band members tried to produce a "Tribute" concert to remember Eddie. Unfortunately a show never materialized because the different factions of the band could never come together to make it work. They did try, but the obstacles turned out to be too much for them to overcome for whatever reason. This we know for sure though, Eddie's fans wanted the show. Eddie's fans wanted a chance to say goodbye to the legend, and they wanted an opportunity to hear the iconic songs one more time.?

In November of 2023 Sammy did something bold. Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony announced a 2024 tour called "The Best of All worlds" to celebrate the music of Van Halen. Sammy Self financed the tour and sidestepped all of the drama that had put a hold on all other shows and/or possible tours to remember Eddie Van Halen. Obviously this did not go over well with the current and past members of Van Halen, but Sammy didn't care. He decided to move forward for the fans. Sammy and Michael decided to tour the music to give the fans the opportunity to relive their childhoods and say goodbye to Van Halen.

I believe we all have a personal brand. What kind of brand you have, how you use it, and more importantly how you benefit from your brand is up to each individual. Sammy Hagar had enough confidence in his personal brand to take the music of Van Halen out on the road for "One more toast" to Eddie and his fans, even though some of the original members of the band declined to join the tour. Sammy Hagar felt so strongly about the music of Van Halen and it's power, that he decided to take it to the people. Sammy Hagar put millions of dollars on the line, and hoped his personal brand would resonate with the public. Did I mention that Sammy Hagar is almost 77 years old?

Sammy's gamble paid off. The Best of All Worlds tour has been out for over a month now and is the hottest ticket in the US. The band plays songs from all eras of Van Halen, Sammy Hagar solo material, Joe Satriani solo material and even give a nod to Jason's father from Led Zeppelin. The fans have universally spoken and call the show "one of the best they have ever seen".? Here is a review from last week's show in Dallas, Texas.?

In another life I worked in the music industry.? As a tour manager I have seen hundreds of different bands play over the years. I saw the Best of All Worlds tour last night. I think it is one of the best shows I have ever seen. Simply incredible. The music is timeless, and the band played the music "Spot-on"...

On the day after the show I am pondering these questions. Do I have enough faith and confidence in my personal brand to invest 10% of my net worth into that brand? Are my skills up to par to backup my personal brand? Would the public respond to my venture (whatever that might be) if I made the investment? Am I strong enough as an individual to look past the naysayers and have faith in my vision? Can I live with myself if said venture would fail for any reason? Tough questions that I probably don't need to be asking, but I still do.??

Thank you to Sammy Hagar and the band for putting on such a great show and allowing me to be 18 again for 2hrs. It's a show I will never forget, and and an amazing lesson on how to cultivate a personal brand and use it to make the world a better place, one show at a time.

For information on "The Best of All Worlds" tour click HERE.?If the tour is stopping in your city I highly recommend you catch the show.? Tickets start at $50 each.

To learn more about John and the work he does for DIRECTV please click?HERE.?

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To learn more about John and the work he does for DIRECTV please click?HERE.?The Views expressed in this blog post reflect the experiences and opinions of the author only and are not meant to be any official correspondence from DIRECTV, its Dealers, affiliates or any related entities. Copyright John Mac's Travels 2024