Buried Secrets

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps singer Sammy Hagar and actor Ed O’Neill uncover their hidden roots, revealing scandals and secrets that their ancestors went to great lengths to conceal. Traveling from criminal underworlds to Civil War battlefields, they explore the meaning of family bonds—meet heroes and villains—and celebrate the virtue of accepting one’s relatives, whoever they may be.

As a young boy, Ed O'Neil found himself drawn to the local movie theater, where he discovered that he had a unique gift.

Despite assuming a family connection, Sammy Hagar's DNA test results show he doesn't genetically belong to the Hagar lineage as expected. This discovery leads to the question of his true biological surname, introducing uncertainty and curiosity about his heritage.

Sammy Hagar is overcome with emotion while reflecting on his family's difficult past and discussing the challenges his mother faced growing up with a traumatized grandmother and the lack of proper love and support.

Ed O'Neill's maternal ancestors migrated from Ireland to Youngstown, Ohio, in the 1800s to escape the Great Potato Famine. They worked as coal miners, enduring harsh conditions underground.