Taylor Hawkins, the longtime drummer for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Foo Fighters, passed away Friday, March 25th, from as of yet unknown causes in Bogota, Colombia, where Foo Fighters were preparing to perform in concert. Hawkins was 50, according to Variety.
Hawkins joined Foo Fighters, the post-grunge band led by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, who switched to guitar for his then-new band, formed after Nirvana ended with Kurt Cobain’s suicide, in 1997. That year, Grohl fired the band’s original drummer William Goldsmith. Hawkins was in Alanis Morissette’s touring band at the time; a gig that, although it’s hard to fathom now, was far more popular than Foo Fighters.
Grohl originally asked Hawkins for suggestions regarding a new drummer, believing Hawkins would not wish to leave his current position. However, Hawkins was eager to join forces with Grohl and became a part of Foo Fighters shortly after the band (with Grohl handling drum duties) completed its sophomore album, 1997’s The Colour and The Shape. Hawkins grew to be an integral part of the band, supplying Foo Fighters with drums and backing vocals for the next 25 years. Hawkins also worked on various side projects, including Chevy Metal and The Birds of Satan.
The band has released this statement:
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) March 26, 2022
Hawkins and his wife had three children, Rolling Stone reported.
While Foo Fighters generally is seen as Dave Grohl’s vessel through which he continues to wave the hard rock flag, despite all musical trends to the contrary, Hawkins was nearly as much the band’s face as Grohl. His loss for Foo Fighters’ millions of fans across the globe is impossible to overstate. It is incomparable to what his family, friends, and bandmates are currently going through.
God speed, Taylor Hawkins.
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