Red Hot Chili Peppers honor late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins

On Sunday, May 1, 2022, the Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival — a spot the Foo Fighters were originally booked for. After the unexpected death of their drummer Taylor Hawkins, however, they canceled all planned concerts. The Red Hot Chili Peppers filled in for them in New Orleans.

Drummer Chad Smith presented his drum kit during the show, with “Taylor” written on the bass drum. After her hit “By The Way,” Smith grabbed the microphone, recalled Taylor Hawkins, and spoke a few words. Among other things, he said: “We only found out two weeks ago that we would be performing here instead of the Foo Fighters. We love this band and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins. So this gig means a lot to us. According to Smith, Hawkins’ widow Alison was among the onlookers, and “the boys in the band are here,” although it was unclear which members of the Foo Fighters were present. “We love her, we love Taylor,” Smith continued, and the audience echoed, “We love Taylor!” they exclaimed.

Days earlier, it was said the Peppers were in contact with Alison Hawkins and were planning their festival set as a celebration of sorts for Hawkins. “It’s what Alison wants,” Smith told Billboard. All she cared about was celebrating music, friends and Taylor, which is what he wanted too.

Watch a video of Smith’s speech here:

The Red Hot Chili Peppers released their twelfth studio album UNLIMITED LOVE on April 1, 2022 – the first to feature guitarist John Frusciante in 16 years.

Taylor Hawkins died on March 25, 2022 at the age of 52 in a hotel in Bogota, Colombia. Read our obituary here.

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