The Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away yesterday at the age of 50. The band wrote, “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. 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.”
Hawkins left Alanis Morissette’s touring group and joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after getting a phone call from Dave Grohl. Grohl asked him if he knew of any drummers who would want the job, and Hawkins said he did. The rest is Rock’n’Roll history at its finest.
In 2006, he released a solo album as Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. Along with his own work, he worked with Slash, The Beach Boys, Queen’s Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, and so many other legends. Not only did he play with legends, but he also played the legend Iggy Pop in CGBG.
I saw him open for The Police with the Foo Fighters, so I was surprised to learn he was in a Police cover band called The Cops. I am sure over the next several weeks; we are going to learn more and more interesting things about him. And I am all for it.
Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison and their three children, Oliver, Annabelle, and Everleigh. My heart goes out to all of them through this difficult time.
