Music

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50

Aidin Vaziri March 25, 2022 Updated: March 25, 2022, 10:38 pm
Drummer Taylor Hawkins and singer-guitarist Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters perform during BottleRock Napa Valley in Napa in 2017.Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle 2017

Taylor Hawkins, the powerhousedrummer who provided the thunderous rhythms forFoo Fightersfor more than two decades, has died. He was 50.

The band announced his death via a statement posted to social media on Friday, March 25.

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,”the message read. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.”

Foo Fighters were on tour in South America when Hawkins died. The bandplayed a festival in San Isidro, Argentina, on Sunday andwas scheduled to play a show in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, at the Festival Estéreo Picnic.

The band’s message added, “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.”

The band did not disclose the cause of Hawkins’ death.

Foo Fightersheadlined theBottleRock Napa Valleymusic festival in2021— theirsecond timetopping the bill at the luxe Wine Country music concert — with a euphoric set heralding the return of live music after the COVID-19 pandemic put most of the live music industry on hold.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know what you did for the last year and a half,” frontman Dave Grohl said during the两个设置加载,它拥有像“学习to Fly,” “My Hero” and “Times Like These.”“I know what I did. I f—in’ waited around for this to happen!”

霍金斯和Foo Fighters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year by Paul McCartney. The band was scheduled to perform at the Grammys on April 3, with a North American tour scheduled to follow in May. It did not say whether those shows will still happen.

The band is also on the bill for theAftershock FestivalinSacramento this fall withKiss, Slipknot and My Chemical Romance, scheduled to take place from Oct. 6 to 9at Discovery Park.

Footage from the Foo Fighters’ final performance with Hawkins at Lollapalooza Argentina on March 20 was recently uploaded to YouTube. The band closed its set with “Everlong.”

Grohl introduced the song by saying, “I don’t like to say goodbye. I know that we’ll always come back. If you come back, we’ll come back. Will you come back? If you come back, we’ll come back, so then I won’t have to say goodbye.”

News of the drummer’s death inspired an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians.

“Taylor Hawkins was truly a great person and an amazing musician,”Ozzy Osbournetweeted Friday. “My heart, my love and my condolences go out to his wife, his children, his family, his band and his fans. See you on the other side.”

Beatles drummerRingo Starrsaid, “God bless Taylor peace and love to all his family and the band peace and love.”

Born Oliver Taylor Hawkins inFort Worth, Texas, on Feb. 17, 1972, he moved with his family to Southern California in 1976. Hawkins was raised in Laguna Beach with his brother, Jason, and sister, Heather.

He played in the small Southern California band Sylvia before landing his first major gig as a drummer for Canadian singer Sass Jordan.Hawkins joined Foo Fighters in 1997 after a stint as Alanis Morissette’s drummer on her tour in support of “Jagged Little Pill.” He replaced Foo Fighters’original drummer, William Goldsmith.

The group’s latest album, “Medicine at Midnight,” was released last year, marking Hawkins’ 25th anniversary as part of the lineup. He also starred alongside the band members, including Grohl,Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee, Chris Shiflett, and Nate Mendel,in the horror-comedy film “Studio 666,” which came out last month.

“Our natural dynamic is very easygoing,” Grohl told The Chronicle. “We spent a lot of time in close quarters over the last 26 years, so the timing and the dynamic between us that you see onscreen, most of that is entirely real.”

Grohl was the drummer for Nirvana when Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994.

Hawkins is survived by his wife, Alison, and their children, Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.

  • Aidin Vaziri
    Aidin VaziriAidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop music critic. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF

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