The Foo Fighters Finally Address Fans’ Biggest Question After Taylor Hawkins Death
On March 25, 2022, Foo Fighters fans’ hearts broke worldwide as news spread that beloved drummer Taylor Hawkins had died. The 50-year-old’s sudden death was especially devastating for Dave Grohl. The friends and bandmates were extremely close, and Grohl had already suffered a lot of loss in his life, including Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain.
Ever since Hawkins’ untimely passing, the band’s fans have speculated whether the Foo Fighters would continue to perform. The band was on tour when Hawkins died. The rest of their 2022 concerts were canceled to give the band time to grieve.
However, in late December, the remaining members of Foo Fighters made an exciting announcement: The band will live on.
Taylor Hawkins’ final tour with the Foo Fighters
In 2021, the Foo Fighters announced their upcoming tour to promote Medicine at Midnight and celebrate the band’s 26th anniversary. It was the band’s 10th tour, and sadly, it was the last one for Hawkins. Hawkins died in Columbia on the day the Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform there.
Hawkins’ official cause of death has not been released. Several substances, including opioids and cannabis, were found in his system. Still, his loved ones said he was on prescription drugs (for insomnia, among other things) and wasn’t using hard drugs. Hawkins complained of chest pains before he died. He’d recently been informed he suffered from sleep apnea and an enlarged heart.
The busy, fast-paced life of touring certainly took a toll on him. But he’d recently begun working on his health and was feeling better as the band toured. Those who attended the band’s final show said Hawkins looked great and was in good spirits. Fittingly, the final song he performed before he died was the iconic “Everlong.”
The Foo Fighters’ recent announcement
While a beautiful tribute concert was held in honor of Hawkins on September 27, 2022, the band mostly stayed out of the spotlight after his death. Naturally, people wondered if they would ever reunite. Then, on December 31, 2022, the Foo Fighters confirmed they would continue, according to Variety.
“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,” the official statement read. “We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know when we see you again — and we will soon — he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”
Many bands stopped playing when one of their members died
Foo Fighters fans are lucky that the band is committed to staying together. Whoever takes over as the drummer will have some genuinely talented shoes to fill. Other fans weren’t so fortunate.
Nirvana called it quits when Kurt Cobain died, as Loud Wire reports. The Grateful Dead stopped playing after Jerry Garcia’s 1995 death. And Led Zeppelin broke up after the loss of their drummer, John Bonham.
There’s no wrong way to handle the loss of a beloved band member, as everyone grieves differently. However, the announcement from the Foo Fighters is heartwarming.
