According to the band, the Foo Fighters family has been devastated by the "tragic and untimely loss" of longtime friend and drummer Taylor Hawkins.
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In a Tweet, the band has told fans, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time."
According to a statement from the attorney general of Colombia, “In the urine toxicological test carried out on the body of Taylor Hawkins, 10 types of substances were preliminarily found, among them: THC (marijuana), tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids." The office also shared that they will continue the investigation, including more medical studies.
Hawkins' passing came just before the band was scheduled to perform at a festival in Colombia, where police have confirmed the news but gave no further details.
Prior to his tenure in the Foo Fighters, which began in 1997, the Texas native, raised in California, started his professional career as Alanis Morissette’s touring drummer and met former Nirvana member and Foos singer Dave Grohl at a chance encounter during that time. After some beat man changes within the Foos, Hawkins eventually became a full-time member and a close friend of the enigmatic frontman. In his best-selling book, The Storyteller, Grohl says their “bond was immediate, and we grew closer with every day, every song, every note that we ever played together,” adding, “we are absolutely meant to be, and I am grateful that we found each other in this lifetime.”
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Touching tributes have arrived from Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose, who was "truly saddened," by the news; Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who said he loved Hawkins’ spirit and “unstoppable rock power;” Finneas O'Connell, Billie Eilish’s brother, who said, “the world was so lucky to have his gifts for the time that it did;” Oasis' Liam Gallagher, who offered his "thoughts and prayers," and many more.
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Aside from his work with Foo Fighters, Hawkins also had side-projects called Chevy Metal, and Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders and had worked with the likes of Coheed and Cambria, Eagles of Death Metal, and more. Taylor is survived by his wife, Alison, and their three children Oliver, Annabelle, and Everleigh.
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