Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died at the age of 50.
The official Foo Fighters Twitter account shared the news, saying they are “devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins.”
Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the message reads. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”
As reported by Variety, no cause of death or further details were given, but a band rep did confirm the Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform in Bogota, Colombia on the night of Friday, March 25.
Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after he was a member of Alanis Morissette’s band. Hawkins replaced drummer William Goldsmith, who frontman Dave Grohl was said to have been dissatisfied with. The official statement said Goldsmith left over “creative differences.”
While Grohl may be the most popular member of Foo Fighters alongside being considered one of the greatest drummers of all time, Hawkins was right there with him and helped make Foo Fighters as successful as they have become.
Hawkins was more than just a drummer, as he would sing and cowrite many of the band’s songs at concerts and on B-sides. Cover versions were also one of his specialties, and his leading performances included a team-up with Led Zepplin’s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
The legendary drummer was born Oliver Taylor Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972. He and his family would move to Laguna Beach, California when he was four and he would grow up in the musical world before he became a drummer for rock singer Sass Jordan.
He would then join Morissette as she was touring for her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, and he would play with her until he joined Foo Fighters in 1997.
Grohl was an acquaintance of Hawkins before he joined the band, and he didn’t think Hawkins would join the Foo Fighters as Morissette was a bigger act at the time. However, when Grohl asked him for recommendations for a new drummer, Hawkins volunteered himself.
As previously mentioned, Hawkins would go on to play a huge role in the Foo Fighters, and would even be part of many “Grohl-led side-projects like the Bee Gees parody/tribute act the DeeGees and the group’s recent mock horror film, Studio 666.”
The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform at the Lollapalooza Festival in Brazil on Sunday and at the Grammy Awards on April 3. They also have multiple tour dates scheduled throughout the year in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Hawkins is survived by his wife, Alison, and their three children.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Read More
Photo Credit:
