Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters drummer, 1972-2022
March 25, 2022 10:14 PM Subscribe
Foo Fighters were founded by Dave Grohl, the drummer for Nirvana after the band's lead Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994.
Hawkins was also the drummer for Alanis Morrissette's Jagged Little Pill tour and appears in the videos for "You Oughta Know, "All I Really Want" and "You Learn".
Sunday Sounds: The Beastly Drumming Of The Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins
Drum Icon Interviews: Taylor Hawkins
Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins says he thought his 2001 overdose was the end of the band
I'm not a drummer but I wish I were.
Sunday Sounds: The Beastly Drumming Of The Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins
Drum Icon Interviews: Taylor Hawkins
Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins says he thought his 2001 overdose was the end of the band
I'm not a drummer but I wish I were.
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what the fuck, wailing weeping warring not roaring 20's.
posted by vrakatar at 10:27 PM on March 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
what the fuck, wailing weeping warring not roaring 20's.
posted by vrakatar at 10:27 PM on March 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Ugh.
posted by brachiopod at 10:33 PM on March 25, 2022
posted by brachiopod at 10:33 PM on March 25, 2022
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posted by Dokterrock at 10:39 PM on March 25, 2022
posted by Dokterrock at 10:39 PM on March 25, 2022
this is incredibly sad. he was one of the actually good ones (from what i know from other musicians that worked with him, i thought i would get to some day)
posted by capnsue at 10:48 PM on March 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by capnsue at 10:48 PM on March 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Saw Taylor belt out a mighty fine rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” in Geelong just a few weeks ago (while Dave sat on the drummer’s stool). He looked gleeful and many years younger than his age.
Dave’s affection for him was obvious on stage and he must be utterly broken-hearted to have lost yet another “brother” before his time.
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posted by Lesser Spotted Potoroo at 10:49 PM on March 25, 2022 [15 favorites]
Dave’s affection for him was obvious on stage and he must be utterly broken-hearted to have lost yet another “brother” before his time.
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posted by Lesser Spotted Potoroo at 10:49 PM on March 25, 2022 [15 favorites]
The Colombian new is reporting that he was found lifeless in his hotel room in Bogotá mere hours before a show. Such terrible news, he was far too young.
posted by msali at 10:50 PM on March 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by msali at 10:50 PM on March 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
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[music bar composed of rest]
(Misusing that odious John Lennon quote about Ringo Starr and the Beatles, I had a huge amount of love and respect when I used to joke "he's not even the best drummer in the Foo Fighters.")
posted by k3ninho at 11:03 PM on March 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
[music bar composed of rest]
(Misusing that odious John Lennon quote about Ringo Starr and the Beatles, I had a huge amount of love and respect when I used to joke "he's not even the best drummer in the Foo Fighters.")
posted by k3ninho at 11:03 PM on March 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
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Damn it. I love the music of this band so much, and the notes of his passing from other musicians are just... damn it.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 11:21 PM on March 25, 2022
Damn it. I love the music of this band so much, and the notes of his passing from other musicians are just... damn it.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 11:21 PM on March 25, 2022
If it makes you feel better, k3ninho, that quote is apocryphal: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/john-lennon-ringo-best-drummer/
posted by argybarg at 11:25 PM on March 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by argybarg at 11:25 PM on March 25, 2022 [7 favorites]
k3hino, I've often made the joke that Dave isn't the best singer in the Foos.
I never really followed the band but even by osmosis it's hard not to see how what genuine talent Taylor Hawkins was. A real loss for the band, the fans, and rock music.
posted by Foaf at 11:33 PM on March 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
I never really followed the band but even by osmosis it's hard not to see how what genuine talent Taylor Hawkins was. A real loss for the band, the fans, and rock music.
posted by Foaf at 11:33 PM on March 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Imagine being the drummer behind a front person who is also regarded as the greatest rock and roll drummer of his generation. Then give him charisma that is frankly off the charts. That was Taylor Hawkins. I hate that I am saying this in the past tense.
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posted by HunterFelt at 11:34 PM on March 25, 2022 [18 favorites]
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posted by HunterFelt at 11:34 PM on March 25, 2022 [18 favorites]
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posted by dogstoevski at 11:47 PM on March 25, 2022
posted by dogstoevski at 11:47 PM on March 25, 2022
Fantastic drummer, great singer and as charismatic a performer as you could hope to see.
See "Shadow Dancing. "
Easy too young and a monumental loss to rock. Love and sympathy to his family, band mates, friends and fans.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:53 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
See "Shadow Dancing. "
Easy too young and a monumental loss to rock. Love and sympathy to his family, band mates, friends and fans.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:53 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by JustSayNoDawg at 1:01 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 1:01 AM on March 26, 2022
That quotation about "not even the best drummer in the Beatles" was actually by Geoffrey Perkins. It gets misattributed to other people all the time.
posted by Lanark at 1:16 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Lanark at 1:16 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
This is so sad.
I will always think of Taylor’s amazing performance in the music video for Everlong, directed by Michel Gondry. High contender for my favorite music video of all time.
posted by Tesseractive at 1:33 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
I will always think of Taylor’s amazing performance in the music video for Everlong, directed by Michel Gondry. High contender for my favorite music video of all time.
posted by Tesseractive at 1:33 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
From that MusicRadar interview:
“But as you get older, the other thing you realise is that you are who you are as a musician; your heart beats a certain way and you feel music a certain way, so there are always things that you are never going to be able to change. But you work on and improve the things that you can, and there is always someone out there to learn from. The one thing I do know is that I'm the best Taylor Hawkins drummer there is, and that is all I can hope to be.”
posted by BlunderingArtist at 1:50 AM on March 26, 2022 [14 favorites]
“But as you get older, the other thing you realise is that you are who you are as a musician; your heart beats a certain way and you feel music a certain way, so there are always things that you are never going to be able to change. But you work on and improve the things that you can, and there is always someone out there to learn from. The one thing I do know is that I'm the best Taylor Hawkins drummer there is, and that is all I can hope to be.”
posted by BlunderingArtist at 1:50 AM on March 26, 2022 [14 favorites]
Damn. Everlong was one of the greatest rock tracks ever committed to tape. Whenever it pops up, it goes on repeat for a while because of its relentless magnificent power. This is heartbreaking.
posted by Devils Rancher at 2:05 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Devils Rancher at 2:05 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
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posted by Silvery Fish at 2:31 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by Silvery Fish at 2:31 AM on March 26, 2022
The initial Rockin' 1000 was 1000 rockers gathering in a small town in Italy to play Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly" with the sole purpose of asking Foo Fighters to play a show in their town.
posted by bendy at 2:33 AM on March 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by bendy at 2:33 AM on March 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
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Damn, unreal. 50 is no age at all. I can't imagine how Dave must feel, they were friends for over 20 years iirc.
posted by fight or flight at 4:10 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
Damn, unreal. 50 is no age at all. I can't imagine how Dave must feel, they were friends for over 20 years iirc.
posted by fight or flight at 4:10 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
God fucking dammit
posted by lazaruslong at 4:18 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by lazaruslong at 4:18 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
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A friend of mine--a touring musician and recovering addict--was gutted but said, "It was drugs. Please just say it was drugs because the stigma is killing us." I was like, even if wasn't current addiction, years of former drug abuse can still take their toll many years later.
posted by Kitteh at 4:18 AM on March 26, 2022 [9 favorites]
A friend of mine--a touring musician and recovering addict--was gutted but said, "It was drugs. Please just say it was drugs because the stigma is killing us." I was like, even if wasn't current addiction, years of former drug abuse can still take their toll many years later.
posted by Kitteh at 4:18 AM on March 26, 2022 [9 favorites]
The first show I ever went to as a budding teenage with my own money was a double date to see Foo Fighters opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers on the There Is Nothing Left To Lose tour at what was then the Bi-Lo Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, year 2000.
I was 15 years old and there for Foo, not RHCP. My shitty little group drank our plastic bottles of Dr. Pepper down to the label and filled the resulting space with Captain Morgan Parrot Bay rum, which I believe these days is called an Island Doctor (?) though back then we just knew it was sweet and got you extremely sugar high and slightly buzzed on alcohol which complemented the shitty midgrade brick weed we were smoking at the time.
Dave had a wireless Explorer guitar and walked around the entire upper deck (cheap seats) for like 25 minutes, just extending the guitar riff bridge on I forget what song , and greeting / high fiving the fans. We were in the super duper cheap seats so he walked like 10 rows in front of us. Taylor played a sick 10 minute drum solo that Flea kept sort of interrupting with bass shenanigans.
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Taylor also wrote / co-wrote a lot of Foo songs. He was an amazing talent, and will be greatly missed.
posted by lazaruslong at 4:31 AM on March 26, 2022 [10 favorites]
I was 15 years old and there for Foo, not RHCP. My shitty little group drank our plastic bottles of Dr. Pepper down to the label and filled the resulting space with Captain Morgan Parrot Bay rum, which I believe these days is called an Island Doctor (?) though back then we just knew it was sweet and got you extremely sugar high and slightly buzzed on alcohol which complemented the shitty midgrade brick weed we were smoking at the time.
Dave had a wireless Explorer guitar and walked around the entire upper deck (cheap seats) for like 25 minutes, just extending the guitar riff bridge on I forget what song , and greeting / high fiving the fans. We were in the super duper cheap seats so he walked like 10 rows in front of us. Taylor played a sick 10 minute drum solo that Flea kept sort of interrupting with bass shenanigans.
...
Taylor also wrote / co-wrote a lot of Foo songs. He was an amazing talent, and will be greatly missed.
posted by lazaruslong at 4:31 AM on March 26, 2022 [10 favorites]
Horrible.
One thing I loved about the guy is that he always seemed to have a smile on his face. A smile that seemed to say "I can't believe they pay me to do this!"
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posted by gwint at 4:35 AM on March 26, 2022 [17 favorites]
One thing I loved about the guy is that he always seemed to have a smile on his face. A smile that seemed to say "I can't believe they pay me to do this!"
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posted by gwint at 4:35 AM on March 26, 2022 [17 favorites]
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Thank you bendy for reminding me of the Rockin' 1000 project. It had completely left my mind. It's a tribute of pure joy, so it deserves to be played on such a sad morning as this.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:29 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Thank you bendy for reminding me of the Rockin' 1000 project. It had completely left my mind. It's a tribute of pure joy, so it deserves to be played on such a sad morning as this.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:29 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:08 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:08 AM on March 26, 2022
JESUS.
One of the first concerts I took my kid to was Foos at Fenway and being able to watch him get goosebumps from just the opening notes of "Everlong," to crying with laughter when Dave's orthopedic surgeon came out and sang "Seven Nation Army," to loving the sh*t out of Taylor's "Under Pressure" created these musical memories.
When you saw the Foos live, you began part of their story and you all went on the same ride together.
Happy I could be part of that ride, gutted for Taylor and those who loved him well.
posted by Sweetie Darling Sweetie Darling at 6:13 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
One of the first concerts I took my kid to was Foos at Fenway and being able to watch him get goosebumps from just the opening notes of "Everlong," to crying with laughter when Dave's orthopedic surgeon came out and sang "Seven Nation Army," to loving the sh*t out of Taylor's "Under Pressure" created these musical memories.
When you saw the Foos live, you began part of their story and you all went on the same ride together.
Happy I could be part of that ride, gutted for Taylor and those who loved him well.
posted by Sweetie Darling Sweetie Darling at 6:13 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
fuuuuuuk. As a drummer I always appreciated his everything. only 3 years older than me, jeez.
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posted by djseafood at 6:17 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by djseafood at 6:17 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Terrible news. Actually gasped aloud when I saw it.
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posted by greenhornet at 6:32 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by greenhornet at 6:32 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
JFC. I just got back at 1 AM Friday morning from a family funeral, and now this. This week really sucks.
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posted by COD at 6:35 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
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posted by COD at 6:35 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
RIP Taylor. Always seemed like a real gent.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 6:38 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 6:38 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Taylor is featured in this Netflix documentary on drumming, Count Me In. It's pretty clear to understand why he was a beloved guy, he seemed like a mensch.
posted by mcstayinskool at 6:55 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by mcstayinskool at 6:55 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
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posted by youknowwhatpart at 6:55 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by youknowwhatpart at 6:55 AM on March 26, 2022
Excellent BBC Radio 6 Music documentary and interview here.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 7:06 AM on March 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 7:06 AM on March 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
I wish he had made a clear statement against his (one-time?) belief that HIV doesn't cause AIDS and vaccines cause autism at some point.
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posted by cooker girl at 7:47 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by cooker girl at 7:47 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
They all just seemed like the most fun guys in rock and roll. It was clear how much Dave and Taylor loved each other.
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posted by bondcliff at 8:31 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by bondcliff at 8:31 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
So many middle-aged musicians seem to hate themselves for still needing the money and/or attention of touring, or hate their audiences for aging along with them, or both.
Nothing cooler than seeing Taylor banging it out with the fans blowing out those 80s tresses, and then smiling ear-to-ear on the big screen when Dave unselfconsciously thanks 15,000 people, a solid 50% of them rich middle-aged dads in golf shirts, for "coming out to the rock show."
I thought I had 20 more years of that.
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posted by MattD at 8:31 AM on March 26, 2022 [9 favorites]
Nothing cooler than seeing Taylor banging it out with the fans blowing out those 80s tresses, and then smiling ear-to-ear on the big screen when Dave unselfconsciously thanks 15,000 people, a solid 50% of them rich middle-aged dads in golf shirts, for "coming out to the rock show."
I thought I had 20 more years of that.
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posted by MattD at 8:31 AM on March 26, 2022 [9 favorites]
Nandi Bushell pays tribute. I’m glad they got to meet.
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posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 8:40 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
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posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 8:40 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
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posted by interogative mood at 8:55 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by interogative mood at 8:55 AM on March 26, 2022
I had a pretty similar experience to lazaruslong, except it was the Californication tour, I was in my early 20s in grad school, and I was there to see RHCP, but Foo Fighters (who I'd dismissed as a Nirvana rip-off vanity band to that point) won me over. RIP, Taylor.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:27 AM on March 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by dirigibleman at 9:27 AM on March 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
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posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 11:02 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 11:02 AM on March 26, 2022
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 11:37 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by JoeXIII007 at 11:37 AM on March 26, 2022
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posted by Faintdreams at 12:51 PM on March 26, 2022
posted by Faintdreams at 12:51 PM on March 26, 2022
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...I loved his ecstatic smile and his beautiful sparkling energy. To see him and Dave together was to experience true joy.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 1:19 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 1:19 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Farce_First at 1:35 PM on March 26, 2022
posted by Farce_First at 1:35 PM on March 26, 2022
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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:29 PM on March 26, 2022
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:29 PM on March 26, 2022
jesus christ what a loss of talent and a decent human
posted by ersatzkat at 3:06 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ersatzkat at 3:06 PM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by spinifex23 at 3:48 PM on March 26, 2022
posted by spinifex23 at 3:48 PM on March 26, 2022
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posted by falsedmitri at 6:46 PM on March 26, 2022
posted by falsedmitri at 6:46 PM on March 26, 2022
Looks like there were a number of drugs in his system. Pot, antidepressants, benzos, opiates. No word on whether or not the drugs were the actual cause of death, but those last two are very dangerous to take together, so an accidental overdose is not an unreasonable guess. But I imagine we'll find out soon.
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posted by zardoz at 9:13 PM on March 26, 2022
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posted by zardoz at 9:13 PM on March 26, 2022
Fans and musicians pay tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins
posted by bendy at 1:10 AM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by bendy at 1:10 AM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
A friend of mine--a touring musician and recovering addict--was gutted but said, "It was drugs. Please just say it was drugs because the stigma is killing us." I was like, even if wasn't current addiction, years of former drug abuse can still take their toll many years later.
It was a cocktail of drugs apparently. Many of them probably prescribed like they were for Michael Jackson, Prince, Tom Petty, Heath Ledger and so many others. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not rich and have just standard shitty American healthcare and think about co-pays and prescription costs.
posted by srboisvert at 6:02 PM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
It was a cocktail of drugs apparently. Many of them probably prescribed like they were for Michael Jackson, Prince, Tom Petty, Heath Ledger and so many others. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not rich and have just standard shitty American healthcare and think about co-pays and prescription costs.
posted by srboisvert at 6:02 PM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Thrakburzug at 4:31 PM on March 29, 2022
posted by Thrakburzug at 4:31 PM on March 29, 2022
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