No one would be surprised if Sammy Hagar decided that he is too “;big,”; too important, too busy to do interviews in support of his concerts.

After all, Hagar was already a successful solo artist when he became the voice of Van Halen prior to that group's commercial heyday, and he has continued to rock 'n' roll for a new generation of fans ever since.

Many artists with far thinner resumes develop that “;too big”; mindset after only a few hits, but there was Hagar—the “;Red Rocker,”; aka “;Mr. I Can't Drive 55”;—calling one morning last month to talk about plans to bring his band, the Wabos, to Hawaii for concerts on Maui and in Honolulu, and his involvement with child-oriented charities.

At the time, Hagar said he was looking forward to the trip.

“;I've never played solo in Honolulu or Maui,”; he explained, calling exactly on time for a quick telephone interview. “;We did three or four nights with Van Halen back in the day, and that was the end of the band—before the reunion.”;

The first time I spoke with him, Hagar was in town promoting the launch of Cabo Wabo tequila with a tasting party at the gone-but-not-forgotten restaurant Compadres. No one knew it at the time, but guests who defied the restaurant publicist's instructions and took home an unopened autographed bottle lucked into a remarkable memento.

“;We didn't make that many of that bottle,”; Hagar explained. “;We changed (it) right away, 'cause during shipping it leaked (and) the corks didn't fit, but (the bottles) were hand-blown.”;

Cabo Wabo Tequila has done very well over the years. Hagar credits longtime Maui resident Shep Gordon for getting him off to a good start in the liquor business.

“;(Shep) really helped me launch it the first year that he worked with me on it,”; he said. “;I didn't know any thing about the liquor business except how to drink it.”;

Hagar and Gordon have been friends since 1972 when Hagar's band, Montrose, was signed to Warner Brothers and was looking for a good manager. Hagar liked Gordon's ideas, but the band's leader wanted to go with someone else. Gordon never managed Montrose, but when Hagar wanted advice on the liquor business he called Gordon.

GETTING BACK on topic, Hagar also has a home in Hawaii and has wanted to do shows here for years.

“;I've wanted to come, but for the last five years I really haven't been doing hard tours. I slowed down a lot because I have the Cabo Wabos (cantinas), and I play there with my band 20, 30 shows a year for free.

“;I love doing that, so for me to get over there (to Hawaii) it financially it didn't make any sense unless you're all geared in the middle of a tour going to the Far East,”; he said.

The financial equation changed when Hagar opened Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill at Kahului Airport and decided to bring the “;Blessing in a Backpack”; food program to Hawaii. With those decisions in place, Hagar felt it was time to give The Wabos and crew a week's paid vacation—and, by the way, “;play two shows.”;

“;I wanted to raise some money (for charity), and so I got some sponsors so now we can do it,”; he said. “;For me to bring my band—which is the same band since I left Van Halen—over there and finally play for the people is going to be a blast because they've never seen what I do ... it's just one big party.

“;I play the set list from Montrose through the early Red Rocker era to the 'Van Hagar' years (to) the Waboritas since then, and then I actually play a Chickenfoot song for an encore. It's like an anthology.”;

Backtracking around the music and his very successful career in tequila, Hagar also oversees the philanthropic activities of the Hagar Family Foundation.

“;My main cause is (helping) terminally ill children whose families have run out of money—one family at a time,”; he said. Profits from his four Beach Bar & Grills—the one on Maui and three on the mainland—go to help families in the respective communities, and also help finance “;Blessings in a Backpack”; programs that provide food for underprivileged children who might not have a dependable source of food on weekends. Eligible children are given a backpack filled with six nutritious meals on Friday and return it when they come to school Monday morning.

“;I'm starting 'Blessings in a Backpack' in Honolulu and on Maui in Makawao (because) it's really a great little program,”; said Hagar. “;It's not my (personal) charity, but I support it and we're starting it over there (in Hawaii).”; -