Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has passed away at the age of 50.
The band was on tour in South America and were supposed to perform at the Festival Estereo Picnic in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, March 25. Hawkins' last performance was during the Lollapalooza Argentina headlining show on Sunday.
Foo Fighters broke the news of Hawkins’ passing on social media. The band tweeted:
Following their performance in Columbia, Foo Fighters was scheduled to perform at Lollapalooza Brasil in Sao Paulo on March 26.
Everything to know about Taylor Hawkins’ family
Taylor Hawkins was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but relocated to Laguna Beach, California, during his early childhood.
Hawkins first gained notoriety as the drummer for Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill tour. He extensively toured with Morissette and Sass Jordan before joining Foo Fighters in 1997.
In 2005, Hawkins married his long-time girlfriend Alison, who has not only played a huge part in his personal life but has also contributed to his rise as a rock star.
The singer revealed in an interview that he never imagined getting married and having a child when he was 25. The couple share a son, Oliver Shane, and two daughters, Annabelle and Everleigh.
The drummer even released an album in 2019 that was inspired by his life as a suburban dad and husband. It was titled Get the Money.
The album had a song titled Middle Child, which Hawkins wrote for Annabelle. The musician had initially written it for his eldest son but did not find the correct lyrics for the song.
Hollywood Mask reported that Hawkins lived with his family in Hidden Hills, California.
Dave Grohl referred to the drummer as his “best friend and partner in crime”
Before Taylor Hawkins joined Foo Fighters, William Goldsmith was the drummer on the band.
However, due to inter-studio conflict during the recording of their breakthrough album The Colour and the Shape, Goldsmith exited the band.
In his autobiography, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, frontman Dave Grohl described the drummer as his “best friend and partner in crime.” The two often bumped into each other when Hawkins was Alanis Morissette’s drummer.
Speaking about his connection with Hawkins, Grohl said:
“Long before he became a Foo Fighter, we would bump into each other backstage at festivals all over the world, and our chemistry was so obvious that even Alanis herself once asked him- "What are you going to do when Dave asks you to be his drummer?”
In 2021, Foo Fighters were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2021. In a video package ahead of the band’s acceptance, actor Jack Black called Hawkins “the greatest drummer alive.”