At the age of 50 Taylor Hawkins, famous drummer and loyal member of the Foo Fighters died, leaving everyone who ever knew him or followed his career stunned. The band announced his death on the 25 of March without revealing the cause. Foo Fighters were touring in South America at the time of the musician’s death, and were scheduled to perform at a festival in Colombia.
The news were devastating for different people and for various reasons. Many people expressed their sadness and disappointment over the fact it was going to be their first time ever seeing the Foo Fighters perform live. Now nobody knows what will happen to “Foo Fighters”, or if they will even continue to exist. The lead singer of the band, Dave Grhol used to be (back in the 90s) the drummer of Nirvana, also a very close friend to Kurt Cobain, obviously. Fans can only imagine what Grhol is going through right now, partly because it is speculated that Hawkins had a similar death to Cobain’s. “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the group wrote. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.”
Numerous musicians and celebrities turned to social media to honour the late drummer, such as Perry Farrel from Jane’s Addiction, Miley Cyrus and Tom Morello among many others.
Hawkins performed as the touring drummer for the one and only Alanis Morissete during the “Jagged Little Pill” era. “The second I heard ‘You Oughta Know,’ I was like, ‘I’m in that band!'” Hawkins told Rolling Stone last November. “I just knew.”
After the departure of the original Foo Fighters’ drummer, Dave Grohl called Hawkins in order to find a new member to fill the void. Grohl asked Hawkins if he knew of any drummers that were up to the job, and he immediately offered himself for the position. “During his stint as Alanis Morissette’s drummer, long before he became a Foo Fighter, we would bump into each other backstage at festivals all over the world, and our chemistry was so obvious that even Alanis herself once asked him, ‘What are you going to do when Dave asks you to be his drummer?'” Grohl wrote. He also wrote for NME in February 2021, “When he joined the band, his drumming was the least important factor. I just thought, ‘I want to travel the world with this guy, I want to jump on stage and drink beers with this person.’ That was my biggest concern.” Grohl and Hawkins knew each other for over 30 years and they had formed a beautiful and strong friendship.
His last performance was at Lollapalooza in Argentina, which was basically the show which gave closure to the whole festival. I personally had the chance to witness his last act and it was incredible. I will always remember him as a great drummer and an even better person. The show was amazing and you could tell how strong the connection between Grohl and him was. He even thanked him for everything and stated that without him he’d be “delivering pizzas somewhere”. He will be missed by countless people, and may he rest in peace.
Bibliography
Bouza, K. & Keys, A. (2022, March 26). Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins Dead at 50. Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/foo-fighters-drummer-taylor-hawkins-obituary-1327112/
Thompson, E. (2022, March 28). Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins' Friendship Through the Years. Us Weekly. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/dave-grohl-taylor-hawkins-friendship-through-the-years/1995-2-23/