Remembering Taylor Hawkins

One of the most talented groups in recent history is now unfortunately no longer fully intact. The world woke up on March 25th 2022 to the tragic news of Taylor Hawkins’ passing at the young age of 50. The band was on a South American tour and Hawkins’ death was sudden.

While we do not yet know the circumstances behind Hawkins’ sudden passing and should not speculate, let’s instead look into the illustrious life and career of the late, great Taylor Hawkins.

Early Life

Oliver Taylor Hawkins was born on 17 February 1972 in Fort Worth, Texas. At the age of four, Hawkins, his parents and his two siblings moved to Laguna Beach, California. It was there that Hawkins grew up, studied, and developed his passion for music.

As a child, Hawkins enjoyed the Beach Boys and was particularly drawn to their drummer, Dennis Wilson. Aside from being a capable musician, Wilson had a mystique about him brought about mainly by his rugged image and rock n roll lifestyle.

Wanting to follow the example of musicians like Dennis Wilson, Hawkins took up the drums and worked his way up as he honed his skills. Playing in local California-based bands such as Sylvia, Hawkins eventually hit his first break by landing a gig as the drummer for Alanis Morisette.

Little did Hawkins know, however, his shot at musical immortality was soon to come

Time in the Foo Fighters

As Hawkins began finding steady work as a drummer, he became acquainted with one of music’s fastest rising stars: Dave Grohl. Grohl was the drummer of Nirvana and it looked like his career was set for life.

However, following Nirvana’s disbandment in the wake of Kurt Cobain’s suicide, Grohl needed to pursue other endeavours. Those plans soon became the Foo Fighters. No longer on the drums, Grohl recruited William Goldsmith as the band’s drummer. Alongside the two, Nate Mandel joined as the band’s bassist and Pat Smear was added as a guitarist.

However, Grohl soon became dissatisfied with Goldsmith’s playing. Despite being the group’s frontman and no longer acting as a drummer, Grohl re-recorded Goldsmith’s drum tracks himself. Hurt by this, Goldsmith left the group and unable to fulfill the role of drummer on tour, Grohl needed a replacement.

Knowing of Hawkins’ reputation and having been acquainted with him before, Grohl looked to contact the up-and-coming drummer to ask him to join the Foo Fighters. As if fate itself had spoken, Hawkins volunteered his services to the group at the same time after having heard the news of Goldsmith’s departure. Grohl was pleasantly surprised and welcomed Hawkins to the Foo Fighters with open arms.

Hawkins’ entry into the band marked not only a turning point for his career but for that of the Foo Fighters’ as well. Playing on the band’s greatest hits such as “Everlong,” “My Hero,” and “Learn To Fly,” the band became a household name and Hawkins had solidified himself as a musical legend.

Hawkins enjoyed his time in the Foo Fighters as he always felt that his services were better suited for a band as opposed to being a support act for a solo artist. He remained primarily affiliated with the group all the way up to his death and in time, revealed himself to be more than just a good drummer.

Hawkins’ Talent

Much like Dave Grohl, Hawkins, who was best known as a drummer, possessed a multitude of other talents. Like Grohl, Hawkins could also play the guitar and proved himself to be a creative force within the group as well. Most notably, however, Hawkins was also a capable singer.

Much like his musical idol, Dennis Wilson whom many have compared Hawkins to, Hawkins could hold his own on the mic. So uncanny were their resemblances, that Hawkins was called in to lay down the vocals for Wilson’s unfinished single, Holy Man. To this day, many still believe that it was Wilson singing and Hawkins could not blame people for this mistake. In his last show before his death, Hawkins also wowed crowds with his rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.”

As a songwriter, Hawkins was awarded Grammys for his input on Foo Fighters’ hits “Best of You,” “All my Life,” and arguably their greatest song, “Learn To Fly.” Hawkins’ input to the band led Dave Grohl to refer to him as his “partner in crime.” Despite being a late addition to the group, Hawkins soon proved himself to be an invaluable asset.

When not actively working with the Foo Fighters, Hawkins worked on other side projects. He released a solo album and often performed live with a who’s who of music’s greatest artists. His most active side project would be his group, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders which he worked frequently with when not with the Foo Fighters.

The Legacy of Taylor Hawkins

Aside from his multiple Grammy nominations and wins, Hawkins was also voted as the Best Rock Drummer by Rhythm Magazine in 2005. Most importantly however, Hawkins had earned the respect of his peers in the music industry.

Upon hearing of his death, some of music’s greatest artists such as Ringo Starr, Liam Gallagher, Slash, Tom Morello, Ozzy Osbourne, and many, many more have paid tribute to the incredible musicianship of Taylor Hawkins.

Most profoundly, The Foo Fighters released a statement about their drummer’s passing. Scheduled to perform at the Estereo Picnic Festival in Columbia, the band instead released a touching message to the fans in attendance to announce Hawkins’ death and paid tribute to his character, importance, and their many years of friendship. The crowd was visibly moved by both the news and the emotional message, meeting it first with somber applause and then in respectful celebration of Hawkins’ life by playing Foo Fighters’ music in the venue.

While the situation continues to develop and we await further news of the details of this tragic event, let us first and foremost take a moment to recognize the talent and significance of Taylor Hawkins the musician, and then, celebrate the life and achievements of Taylor Hawkins the man.

This is no doubt an unspeakably sad situation for fans, friends and the loved ones of Taylor Hawkins. But in losing him, we are also reminded of the power that music has to immortalize a person for generations to come. Having left a legacy as illustrious as his own, Taylor Hawkins will continue to live on in the hearts of many long after we have all gone to join him too.