Taylor Hawkins's Death Shocks The Music World

This past Friday (March 25), rock drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away at Four Seasons Hotel in Bogotá, Colombia, at the age of 50. His death shook the music world over the weekend, with musicians and fans worldwide being hit hard by the news of his passing.

His 25-year career with the Foo Fighters is one that will never be forgotten, Hawkins was playing drums for Alanis Morissette before joining Foo Fighters in 1997, three years after the group was founded by frontman Dave Grohl. Hawkins also released solo material under his own name and as Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders, in which Hawkins sang lead and played the drums. The band released three albums, most recently 2019’s Get the Money. Just last year, Hawkins teamed up with Dave Navarro and Chris Haney of Jane’s Addiction to form a supergroup NHC (Hawkins, Navarro, and Haney). They released their debut EP Intakes & Outtakes in February.

His death occurred while on tour in South America. Foo Fighters were set to perform in Bogotá, Colombia, at the Festival Estéreo Picnic. The news was announced through a Twitter post.

Not only was he an immensely loved rock star, but he was also a father and a husband. He and his wife Alison Hawkins have two children named Oliver Shane Hawkins and Annabelle Hawkins.

After such a great impact on the music industry, it only made sense that many other artists also mourned his loss. Musicians like Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, Liam Gallagher, Coldplay, and many more dedicated performances for the fallen star.

During her set at the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival in Georgia on Saturday (March 26), Joan Jett dedicated one of her songs to him while performing. “So, this next song is for him. But really, all of you take it to heart — it’s true for everybody: life is very fragile. One moment you’re here, and the next you’re gone.”

Wolfgang Van Halen also pays tribute by covering Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” during his show at Boston's Big Night Live over the weekend. According to Van Halen (the son of rock legend Eddie Van Halen, who himself passed away in 2020), it was a last-minute inclusion to the running order, with the multi-instrumentalist revealing the band had learned and rehearsed the song on the morning of the show. Van Halen said, “We lost somebody really important yesterday. And he was a hero to me, and a hero to all of us, and a hero to countless people out there. So, we feel this is necessary.”

It was a moving moment both for the audience and the artists who put their heart and soul into the performance and closed it out with, “Rest in peace, Taylor. We love you.”

Iconic Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash made a dedicated live rendition of his song “Starlight” to Hawkins during a recent performance with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. They said, “First of all, he was a great f**king guy. A f**king sweetheart. He was a really good friend and a kickass drummer.”

Even the legend himself Sir Paul McCartney posted a tweet where he thinks back at his interactions with the drummer and how much he valued him as a person and an artist. He spoke of the time they spent together collaborating on the 2017 album Concrete and Gold and preparing for “Get Back”.  

Sir Elton John, before his performance of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, made the dedication of the song to Hawkins. "He was one of the nicest people you could have ever met, and one of the greatest drummers and a true musician who loved all sorts of music and loved life. And it seems so sad that, of 50 years of age, we've lost someone who had that much passion."
 

It’s not just musicians dedicating their performances to him, but the Grammys have announced that they will have a tribute this weekend (April 3) for the well-known drummer.

Meanwhile, the Foo Fighters have announced that they are canceling any upcoming live gigs “in light of the staggering loss of our brother.”

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Taylor Hawkins, a legend whose work will continue to live on.