Sammy Hagar posted a lovely tribute in honor of the passing of his former bandmate, Ronnie Montrose.

In a statement on his website, the Red Rocker said:

Ronnie Montrose gave me my first break as a songwriter, as a front man, as a recording artist, as a touring artist, and for that I will always be grateful.

I was looking forward to a reunion for my birthday bash in Cabo with Denny, Bill and Ronnie - one of the few bands from that era where all four original members were still able to do it. It's a shame to lose Ronnie and I'm so sorry for his loved ones. Rest in peace.

Ronnie and Sammy co-founded Montrose in the early 1970s, releasing a self-titled album in 1973 and ‘Paper Money’ the following year. Hagar left the band shortly thereafter to pursue a solo career, which eventually included a stint as the frontman for Van Halen and his current gig with supergroup Chickenfoot.

Sammy's reaction was only the latest of a litany of posts about the legendary guitarist, with more sure to come.

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