obituary
death at age 50
Taylor Hawkins was the drummer of good humor – his death is not only a shock for the Foo Fighters
Taylor Hawkins at a Foo Fighters concert
© Dan Deslover / Picture Alliance
The Foo Fighters mourn the loss of Taylor Hawkins: The drummer died at the age of 50. For 25 years he had a decisive influence on the sound and image of one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
There’s a saying about the Foo Fighters that says they’re probably the only band where the singer is the best drummer. Frontman Dave Grohl played drums with Nirvana for years and wrote music history with the band. You can imagine how great an honor it must be to be chosen by him as drummer. Taylor Hawkins obviously lived up to these claims.
The story of how Hawkins joined the band shows how high the requirements are for the Foo Fighters: Grohl was not satisfied with the drum parts of the previous drummer William Goldsmith during the recordings for the second album and promptly recorded them from scratch himself. Goldsmith retired disappointed, Hawkins – until then a member of Alanis Morissette’s band – took over. That was in 1997, and it is not known that Grohl had to intervene again in the 25 years that followed.
Taylor Hawkins has died at the age of 50. He was found dead in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia. The band has not yet released any information about the cause of death. His death comes as a shock not only to the Foo Fighters, but to the entire rock world.
Taylor Hawkins embodied fun and passion
After all, the Foo Fighters are considered one of the defining rock groups of the past few decades. Hawkins has been instrumental in shaping their sound over the past 25 years – and their image as well. With their fast-paced concerts, where the band plays hit after hit and hardly allows a break, the Foo Fighters are for many fans one of the best and most exciting live acts ever. And while some in the rock business prefer to maintain a bad boy image, the Foo Fighters have always performed as the nice boys next door. There is hardly a more likeable band, the group’s closeness to fans is famous.
Of course, much of this can be traced back to David Grohl, the charismatic, tireless frontman. But Taylor Hawkins also has his part in it – and that should not be underestimated. Anyone who averted their eyes from stage pig Grohl at the concerts saw Hawkins behind him on the drums: the drummer with the blowing hair often could hardly get his grin off his face, you could see that he was always there, even at the umpteenth concert of a long tour still full of passion and fun.
Sometimes Hawkins was also allowed into the limelight: he took over the vocals on some Foo Fighters songs, for example on “Cold Day in the Sun” (2005) or “Sunday Rain” (2017). When the Foo Fighters played cover songs at their live shows, Hawkins often stepped up to the mic – and Grohl sat down on the drums.
What’s next for the Foo Fighters?
The 53-year-old frontman has lost a bandmate and friend for the second time. In 1994, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain took his own life – his death meant the end of the band at the time. That same year, Grohl founded the Foo Fighters. It is still unclear what will happen to the band after Hawkins’ death.
At the time of their drummer’s death, the Foo Fighters were on a world tour, and a concert in Berlin was also planned for June. Whether the tour will continue is still open – as is what the future of the Foo Fighters looks like. At the moment, the grief for Taylor Hawkins outshines everything.