September 19, 2022
By Suada Xhabija
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died last March of an accidental overdose.
Initially introduced as a solo project by the former drummer of Nirvana, Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters appeared out during the fire of the grunge rock scene in the mid 90s.
The band's name is inspired by a term used by the United States Air Force during World War II that referred to UFO’s. The undisclosed six-member band soon became icons in the music industry, amassing a total of 15 Grammy’s, and holding the title of Best Rock Album five times.
After 28 years of success, the band lost their brightest light and fan-favorite light, drummer Taylor Hawkins. On March 25th, Hawkins was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in his hotel room in Bogotà, Colombia. Hours after his death, a preliminary toxicology test revealed the presence of 10 different substances in his system, pronouncing his death as an accidental overdose. His final performance with the Foo Fighters was given five days earlier at the Lollapalooza Argentina festival.
Hawkins rose to fame as the drummer for the Foo Fighters in 1997. Grohl and the rest of the band immediately found Hawkins the ideal fit, matching Grohl’s energetic stage presence and charisma. He became an inspiration for many rock fans, and will be noted as one of the best drummers of all time.
To honor the late musician's life, Foo Fighters and the Hawkins family arranged a two-night tribute concert. The first in London, England, and the second in Los Angeles, California. During the first tribute concert in London’s Wembley Stadium, which took place on September 3rd, over 90,00 fans came together to celebrate the life of Taylor Hawkins. The Foo FIghters took stage for the first time since Hawkin’s passing, followed by performances from Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher, Brian Johnson, and many other world renowned musicians.
Though all musicians were collaborators, friends, and even idols of Hawkins, no performer could beat the triumph of his own son, Shane Hawkins. Performing one of the Foo Fighters most admired songs “My Hero”, had overall taken over and outshined every performance that night, with some viewers acknowledging his potential to be the Foo’s next drummer.
Grohl said of Hawkins: "For those of you who knew him personally, you knew that nobody else could make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could; for those of you who admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing."
It is currently unknown what' the future holds for the Foo Fighters. Fans will have to wait and see. However, one thing certain: whether they continue or not, they’ll always be remembered as one of rock's greatest bands.
Meet the Writer!
Suada Xhabija, Class of 2023, is a Journalism 3 writer for the Dedham Mirror. Outside of school she enjoys her work with Diversity Talks, pilates, spending time with her family, and any outdoor activity. Some of her favorite hobbies include, listening to music and reading books.
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