2022 was not a good year for the Foo Fighters. In the blink of an eye, their lives changed forever after the untimely passing of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Even after 27 years, the band was reaching incredible heights when this tragedy took place.
Now, ten months later, and with the unconditional support they provide for each other, they are ready to move on. They will never leave the memory of their brother behind, but they know he would want them to keep making people happy with their music.
Taylor Hawkins’ Passing Devastated The Foo Fighters And Fans
Foo Fighters were at the beginning of a very successful world tour when tragedy struck them. On May 25th, hours before a show in Colombia, drummer Taylor Hawkins was found unresponsive in his hotel room.
Their last show had been in Buenos Aires, and days earlier a concert in Paraguay had been canceled due to a dangerous storm. So, added to the unimaginable grief that came with the loss of a dear friend (everyone in the band and their families are exceptionally close), the uncertainty about their future also weighed on them.
Just days before they announced the devastating news, they made a statement canceling the tour in its entirety.
“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancelation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins,” the band wrote.
“We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned. Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together.”
After that, fans didn’t hear much from the band or Taylor’s family, save for a short statement from Alison Hawkins.
There, she thanked everybody for the support and said “Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We consider every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.”
The Band Created Tributes To Their Dear Friend
Months after Taylor’s death, following a deafening but more than understandable silence from the band, the Foo Fighters took to their social media to announce that they had been silent for more than one reason.
Of course, they had been grieving and supporting each other, but they had also been hard at work planning ways to honor Taylor Hawkins. Or, as they put it, “our dear friend, our bad*** bandmate, our beloved brother.”
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Alongside the drummer’s family, the Foo Fighters put together two tribute concerts at two of the most famous and important venues in the world: The Forum and Wembley Stadium. Two places where Taylor had thrived while playing with his band.
Wembley was particularly meaningful since it was the same place where, 30 years earlier, Taylor’s favorite band, Queen, had honored the legendary Freddie Mercury. Speaking of, at the England concert, Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen showed up to honor him, alongside many other stars like Liam Gallagher, Chrissie Hynde, Sir Paul McCartney, and many more.
In Los Angeles, great artists like Miley Cyrus, Alanis Morissette, and Kesha also appeared.
Both concerts were filled with a bittersweet sense of excitement. By the end of the show, there was not a dry eye in the crowd. Or on the stage for that matter. Especially when Shane Hawkins, Taylor’s son, took his dad’s place behind the drums and proved that he had definitely inherited his father’s raw talent.
Lots of people thought that it would be the last time fans got to see the Foo Fighters play together, and it would have undoubtedly been a perfect way to say goodbye, but on New Year’s they surprised everyone one more time.
The Foo Fighters Are Coming Back
It would not be the first time that the Foo Fighters dropped a bomb on New Year’s, but this is certainly the biggest one yet. There was a lot of uncertainty about the future of the band, and there still is, but one thing they cleared up was that they were not, in any circumstances, breaking up.
“As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us,” the band stated.
They went on to share some of the history of the band, adding that “Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were — and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward. We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”
Not even two weeks later, fans received even more surprises. Foo Fighters announced they would be headlining several festivals, including Boston Calling, Sonic Temple, and Bonnaroo.
The band will never forget the irreplaceable influence of the great Taylor Hawkins, but they will continue to honor him and make him proud by keeping his legacy alive.
