Sammy Hagar has shared a personal tribute to the fan who gave him his famous nickname, the Red Rocker.Hagar’s early success came in the band Montrose, but he was dismissed after just a couple of years. The singer embarked on a solo career, at which point he crossed paths with a man named John Pruner.“In 1976 I had just released the red album,” Hagar recalled in a post to Facebook, referring to his self-titled LP. “I was playing one of my first concerts in Seattle, Washington supporting that record with the song ‘Red’ being the single. The next morning, I was checking out of the hotel and John Pruner the man in these photos, stopped me and asked for an autograph on the newspaper review of the concert. He asked me to sign it, ‘The Red Rocker.’ That was the beginning of being the Red Rocker.”READ MORE: Sammy Hagar Solo and Band Albums Ranked Worst to BestLittle did either man know at the time, but the Red Rocker moniker would stick. Over the years, Hagar has embraced the nickname to the point of branding, with shirts, hats and even beer emblazoned with the Red Rocker title. Through it all, Hagar never forgot the man who gave him the name.’You Will Never Pay to See Me Again’“John became maybe the first redhead before the fans became redheads,” Hagar noted in his tribute. “He followed me around the country, showing up everywhere. I got to know him well. Later, at a birthday bash in Cabo he showed me that he had paid to see over 100 shows! I said you will never pay to see me again and gave him the golden lifetime all access pass. That was well over 100 shows ago.”According to Hagar, Pruner’s health had “been failing him for well over a decade.” Even in a wheelchair, the super-fan still made it out to shows, and Hagar “always made room for him on the side of the stage or wherever possible.”READ MORE: The Day Sammy Hagar First Met Eddie Van Halen“Well, we lost the original number one redhead a couple nights ago,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer announced. “We will miss you, John Pruner, and the show will go on without you. I know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”Hagar is set to perform at the Stagecoach festival in Indio, California in April. He’ll then open his Best of All Worlds residency in Las Vegas on May 2.The Best Song From Every Sammy Hagar AlbumSolo or in a group, he proves there’s more than one way to rock.Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening