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Taylor Hawkins Remembered as a Tremendous Musician and Great Human Being
A Shock to the Music Industry
The music world was hit hard by the unexpected passing of Taylor Hawkins on August 20, 2022. The drummer, best known for his work with the Foo Fighters, died at the age of 50. Hawkins was one of the most respected and admired drummers in music, known for his incredible talent, energy, and passion for the craft. He will be greatly missed by fans and fellow musicians alike.
Tributes from Music Legends
Tributes poured in from numerous other musicians: Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, Joan Jett, Elton John, Slash, Liam Gallagher, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Blink 182’s Travis Barker, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss… They all said the same thing: Taylor Hawkins was a tremendous musician and a great human being.
Encouraging New Talent
It was Hawkins who encouraged Spiller to move to Los Angeles from the UK in 2019. “You meet a lot of people in this industry who just don’t give a fuck about lending anyone a hand, and he was the complete opposite,” he said. “He became a little bit of a mentor to me.”
Friendship with Queen
Of all the musicians Hawkins befriended over the years, Queen were at the top of the pile. Brian May got to know him after Hawkins and Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear presented May and Roger Taylor with a Kerrang! Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.
Beyond the Foo Fighters
He had his own extra-curricular projects too, fronting Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders (who released three albums between 2006 and 2019) and Birds Of Satan (who put out one fairly unhinged album in 2016). As he put it to us in 2019: “There’s so much more in my head than just being the drummer in the Foo Fighters.”
A Lasting Impact on Friends
“I was trying to write a song for the James Bond film that was coming out [No Time To Die],” said Spiller. “I said to Taylor: ‘I’ve got this song, it could use some drums and pots and pans on it.’ He said: ‘Come on over.’ And he cut a brilliant drum take on it. I listened to it this morning and it made me smile. I felt so lucky to have him play some kickass drums on something I wrote. I just felt so lucky to have known him.”
Jon Davison understands their loss better than anyone. “I loved listening to his amazing stories of being in this revered rock band, and I think he found solace in speaking to me,” he said. “I got a sense that I was a kind of anchor, that our friendship was a symbol of simpler times, and something constant in his turbulent world. Every time we finished our conversations, we’d say to each other: ‘I love you.’ And those were his last words to me. I can’t really ask for anything more, all things considered.”
A Legacy that Will Live On
Taylor Hawkins may be gone, but his music and his impact on the industry will live on forever. He was a true talent, and his contributions to music will be remembered for years to come.
Credit: https://www.loudersound.com/features/taylor-hawkins-17-february-1972-25-march-2022
