Sammy Hagar is an American rock singer, songwriter and businessman, best known as the voice of Van Halen from 1985 to 1996 and the founder of Cabo Wabo tequila. His love life has a quirky twist. He married his first wife, Betsy Berardi, in November 1968, and his second wife, Kari Hagar (born Kari Karte), had been born just one year and ten months earlier, in January 1967.
| Date of Birth | October 13, 1947 |
|---|---|
| Age | 79 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Occupation | Vocalist/Musician |
| Wife | Kari Hagar (m. November 29, 1995) |
| First Wife | Betsy Berardi (m. November 3, 1968, div. 1994) |
| Children | Aaron, Andrew, Kama (b. April 1, 1996), Samantha (b. 2001) |
Sammy Hagar Biography
Sammy Hagar was born on October 13, 1947, in Salinas, California, and grew up in Fontana in the Inland Empire. He is 79 years old. His childhood was hard. Speaking to Elex Michaelson on The Issue Is in May 2023, he said his family was “almost homeless at times,” that they “slept in cars,” and that a single mom raised him and his siblings from the time he was five because his father drank.
Music found him at 14, when a friend named Ed Manson taught him guitar. He told Michaelson that music “really saved me,” because the friends he had been running with in Fontana were getting into drugs and trouble. One of his proudest moments came later, when he bought his mother her first home. “My mother never owned a home,” he said.
Sammy Hagar Career
Hagar first made his name with the hard rock band Montrose from 1973 to 1975, then launched a solo career with hits such as “I Can’t Drive 55.” In July 1985 he replaced David Lee Roth as Van Halen’s frontman, and the band scored four No. 1 albums with him: 5150, OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and Balance. He left in 1996, returned for a 2003 to 2005 reunion, and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Van Halen in 2007.
Business made him rich. He wrote the song “Cabo Wabo” for OU812, opened the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, and launched his own tequila. He sold 80% of Cabo Wabo tequila to Gruppo Campari for $80 million in 2007 and the remaining 20% for $11 million in 2010. He later launched Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum in 2011 and Santo tequila with Guy Fieri in 2019.
He still tours at 79. His Best of All Worlds shows with Michael Anthony and Joe Satriani ran in 2024, his Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM returned in March and September 2026, and he toured the US in June and the UK in July 2026. He marked his birthday with three Cabo Wabo Birthday Bash shows on October 9, 11 and 13, 2026. “Last night was insane,” he wrote on Instagram on October 12, 2026.
Next up is the Hollywood Bowl. He performs on October 29, 2026, at “California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends.” He wrote on Instagram on October 8 that it was “an honor,” adding that Montrose “started about the same era as Aerosmith and I’ve always felt close to them and their music.”
Sammy Hagar and Betsy Berardi
Sammy Hagar married Betsy Berardi on November 3, 1968, in California, when he was 21 and still a struggling musician. The couple had two sons, Aaron, born around 1970, and Andrew, born in 1984. Their marriage lasted 26 years.
Betsy’s mental health became the hardest part of their story. Hagar has said she suffered from anxiety and depression and had a nervous breakdown while he was in Van Halen. He took time away from the band to care for her. “She was having a nervous breakdown and didn’t want me to leave the house,” he told Fox News Digital in October 2023, describing the period as one where he was “drug into the darkness.”
They divorced in 1994. The main fight was over royalties from songs he wrote during the marriage. Hagar told Guitar World in 1997 that he settled it with his 1994 compilation album, Unboxed. “I paid her off with all the money I received for that album and didn’t make a dime off it,” he said. Betsy has lived privately since the divorce.
Kari Hagar, Sammy’s Second Wife
Kari Karte was born on January 7, 1967. She and Sammy met in the early 1990s at a mutual friend’s birthday party, two days before his own birthday. He told People that they kept running into each other, and “after about the third time we just stayed together.”
They married in a private ceremony on November 29, 1995. Kari was 28 and Sammy was 48, a 20-year age gap. Their marriage has now lasted 30 years.
Kari has built her own career behind the camera. She has produced films and series such as “Ram Dass, Going Home” (2017), “Red Til I’m Dead: Sammy Hagar’s Rock-N-Roll Birthday Bash” (2017), “Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar” (2016) and “Sammy Hagar & the Circle Live: At Your Service” (2015). The couple also run the Hagar Family Foundation, which they started in 2008.
Sammy Hagar’s Children
Sammy Hagar Net Worth
Sammy Hagar’s net worth is estimated at $233–465 million. Tequila built the biggest single block of it. Selling Cabo Wabo to Gruppo Campari brought in $91 million across 2007 and 2010, and that money has had nearly two decades to grow.
Touring is the other big engine. His 2024 Best of All Worlds tour grossed $19.4 million from its first 21 shows, according to Pollstar, and he has kept up arena tours, Las Vegas residencies and his yearly Cabo shows since. Royalties from his Van Halen and solo catalogue, his Cabo Wabo Cantinas, his rum and Santo tequila add steady income on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sammy Hagar’s first wife?
His first wife was Betsy Berardi. They married on November 3, 1968, and divorced in 1994 after 26 years.
Why did Sammy Hagar and Betsy divorce?
The marriage broke down after years of strain linked to Betsy’s struggles with anxiety and depression. Hagar has spoken about caring for her during her nervous breakdown.
Who is Sammy Hagar married to now?
He is married to Kari Hagar, born Kari Karte. They married on November 29, 1995.
How many kids does Sammy Hagar have?
He has four children: sons Aaron and Andrew with Betsy, and daughters Kama and Samantha with Kari.
How old is Sammy Hagar?
Sammy Hagar was born on October 13, 1947, so he turned 79 on October 13, 2026.
How much did Sammy Hagar sell Cabo Wabo for?
He sold 80% to Gruppo Campari for $80 million in 2007 and the last 20% for $11 million in 2010, for $91 million in total.
