source: https://www.instagram.com/taylorhawkinsofficial/
By now you’re no doubt aware of how Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins suddenly passed away while on tour in South America. You’ve probably also heard the news that all concerts for the foreseeable future have been cancelled, which includes 10 Canadian dates. As sensitive a subject matter this may be to broach, I think it’s fair to wonder aloud if we’ve seen the last of Foo Fighters.
You’d have to think Dave Grohl, the five other members, their crew and extended family are all devastated. Foo Fighters fans definitely are; Taylor Hawkins wasn’t just the drummer and occasional singer for one of the biggest rock bands from these past 25 or so years. He was a constant source of positivity and joy that made him just as enjoyable to watch live as the most dominant personality in music arguably. Hawkins appeared to be in typical exuberant form at the last FOO show in Argentina, commanding a crowd of 100,000 Freddie Mercury-style for a rousing edition of “Somebody to Love”.
There wasn’t much indication that Hawkins was unwell as usual closer “Everlong” ended the night of March 20th with a flourish, making his death all the more shocking. He has self-effacingly said it’s the song he could never play as well as Dave Grohl, although anyone who was able to witness him make it his own in the shadow of Nirvana’s former drummer should consider themselves lucky to have been in the presence of humble greatness.
Foo Fighters were in disarray to say the least when Hawkins first came aboard; William Goldsmith had quit during the recording of The Colour and the Shape, upset over Grohl redoing many of the then-drummer’s parts. Hawkins was a stabilizing and energetic force from the get-go, which was good as those early transitional years were a blur of performances that saw the new timekeeper get to know Barrie’s Molson Park in particular quite well. Hawkins had appeared there with Alanis Morissette in 1996 and the FOOs twice (Canada Day 1998 and again in 2000 for Summersault).
If he hadn’t worked out it’s improbable they would have made it to another album cycle, let alone 25 years with Hawkins behind the drum kit. While it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in the land of the FOO – there was the little matter of an overdose and coma in 2001 – Hawkins never once gave the impression of not being happy in the position he found himself. Whether it was as Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, The Birds of Satan or latest side project NHC (all worth rediscovering, by the way), he was given the leeway to express himself artistically similar to how Grohl was encouraged by Kurt Cobain. What’s saddest of all to me is there was no sign of slowing down as he hit 50 years of age. Besides bassist Nate Mendel and Grohl obviously, Hawkins is the longest-serving Foo Fighter and was in a lot of ways the one who kept them young and scrappy.
For someone who gave off the vibe of a California surfer bum whose drum proficiency made even Dave Grohl take a back seat, Hawkins had more than a few cool Canadian connections. Prior to being with Alanis he was in Sass Jordan’s band. When Foo Fighters were in Toronto for the 2015 “Break a Leg” tour, they brought her out for a cover of Faces’ “Stay with Me” but not before Hawkins told a little story about how she gave a 22-year-old greenhorn his first rock and roll cheque.
He obsessed over Rush as most musicians growing up in the ’80s did, and got to live out a number of rock and roll fantasies by jamming “YYZ” with them during a Toronto layover in 2008 as well as share the honour of inducting his heroes into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Whatever sordid details are still to come out of the official autopsy, Foo Fighters don’t get their own plaque in Cleveland as they did in 2021 without Taylor Hawkins as their drummer. It’s Dave Grohl’s creation and he’s always had the right to end it any time, but if Foo Fighters is truly over like Led Zeppelin before them when John Bonham died it is out of respect for the fact Hawkins is such an integral part that can never be replaced. For what it’s worth, I’ve put together a playlist of what I consider Foo Fighters’ defining Top 25 songs featuring Taylor Hawkins – and you’re damn right “Cold Day in the Sun” belongs among them.
