Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has died aged 50. This was announced by his band members on Saturday night.
by Thomas Kielhorn
A statement on the band’s official Twitter page read: “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins.”
And further: “His musical spirit and infectious laugh will live on in 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 at this unimaginably difficult time.”
Multiple American media reported that Taylor was found dead in a hotel room in Bogota, Colombia. There the band was supposed to perform at the popular music festival Estéreo Picnic. The Foo Fighters (“The Pretender”) have now announced that they will not be playing after the tragedy.
Born in Fort Worth (Texas), Oliver Taylor Hawkins worked for many years as a touring drummer for artists such as Alanis Morissette (47) before joining the Foo Fighters in 1997. In 2005 he was named Best Rock Drummer by Rhythm Magazine.
Hawkins joined the band – led by Dave Grohl – after he fell out with drummer William Goldsmith and left the group.
By his own admission, Hawkins suffered from severe stage fright, which he tried to fight at times with alcohol and drugs. In 2001, he was in a coma for several days after a heroin overdose.
Hawkins leaves behind a wife and three children.