Taylor Hawkins, drummer from Foo Fighters, dies at 50

Taylor Hawkins, the powerful drummer for the multi-platinum rock band Foo Fighters, passed away on Friday. He was 50 years old.

Hawkins was in Bogota, Colombia, to perform with the Foo Fighters, two nights before the band’s show at Lollapalooza Brazil on Sunday.

The news was announced on the Foo Fighters Instagram account. “The Foo Fighters are devastated by the tragic and sudden loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the announcement read. “His musical spirit and infectious laugh will live on with us all forever. Our hearts are with his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect at this unimaginably difficult time.”

No cause of death was given.

Pat Samir, left, Chris Shefflet, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Ramy Jaffe and Nate Mindel of the Foo Fighters at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2021.

(Charles Sykes/Invision/The Associated Press)

A member of the Foo Fighters since 1997, Hawkins joined the band after touring with Alanis Morissette for her hit album “Jagged Little Pill”. Unhappy with the original drummer for the Foo Fighters, Grohl reached out to his friend Hawkins to get his opinion on a replacement. Grohl, who was drumming with Nirvana, was surprised when Hawkins advised himself.

“We knew we would get along,” Hawkins told OC Weekly shortly after he joined, adding that “being at Foo changed my style of drumming because I had to adapt.” He added, “I was a bit nervous at first, but I got over it… Nobody can play better than Dave Grohl. He just has that vision in his head.”

Foo fighters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Hawkins is survived by his wife, Alison, and their three children: Oliver Shane, Annabelle, and Everly.

The Times will update this story as information becomes available.