Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins Dead at 50

Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Foo Fighters has died at the age of 50. No cause of death was given.

Prior to joining the Foo Fighters in 1997, Hawkins was part of the progressive band Sylvia and was a touring musician for Alanis Morissette.

The Foo Fighters was started by Nirvana’s Dave Grohl who was a drummer himself. During the record of the band’s first album The Color and the Shape, Grohl brought in a drummer named William Goldsmith. When conflict arose in the studio with Grohl and Goldsmith, Goldsmith departed the band. The album was re-recorded with Grohl on drums before being released. Around the time of the album’s release, Grohl reached out to Hawkins looking for recommendations for a drummer. At the time Grohl was working with Morissette assumed Hawkins was not looking to leave. Hawkins volunteered himself to join the band and became the Foo Fighters’ drummer.

Hawkins had a side project called Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. He also performed with the SOS All Stars with Roger Taylor of Queen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The band issued the following statement:

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of 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.”

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to play in Bogota, Colombia and that is where Hawkins reportedly died.

Photo Credit: Taylor Hawkins Facebook Page.