Unlike Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins Thought the Band Name Foo Fighters Was ‘Really Cool’
For many music fans of all ages, the Foo Fighters is one of the all-time great rock bands. The group was formed in 1994 by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, and quickly rose to prominence thanks to their hard-rocking tunes and dedication to the rock and roll lifestyle. Over the years, Foo Fighters have remained popular with fans—and in late March, the sudden death of the group’s drummer Taylor Hawkins took everyone by surprise. In the wake of Hawkins’ untimely death, fans are reminiscing about the early days of Foo Fighters, recalling the circumstances of the band’s naming.
How did Dave Grohl come up with the name Foo Fighters?
After Nirvana dissolved, following the death of Kurt Cobain, Grohl launched his own musical venture—a band he dubbed Foo Fighters. In a 2010 interview with Clash, Grohl revealed what inspired the band’s name, admitting that he was drawn in by the term that World War II allied fighters had for UFOs – “foo fighters.”
As the rocker noted, “Around the time that I recorded the first FF tape (that became the first record), I was reading a lot of books on UFOs. Not only is it a fascinating subject, but there’s a treasure trove of band names in those UFO books!”
He went on to explain “So, since I had recorded the first record by myself, playing all the instruments, but I wanted people to think that it was a group, I figured that FOO FIGHTERS (WW2 term for UFOs) might lead people to believe that it was more than just one guy. Silly, huh?”
What did Taylor Hawkins say about thinking the name Foo Fighters was ‘really cool’?
Grohl might have thought that the band name was silly, but Hawkins, the drummer he enlisted to play in the newly-formed Foo Fighters, did not. In a 2011 interview with Conan O’Brien, Grohl and Hawkins dished on the origins of the name. Grohl admitted that if he knew the band would have such staying power, he would have chosen a different name.
Hawkins, however, noted that he had a different reaction when he heard the band’s name for the first time. “See, I thought it was really cool,” he said. “So I must be really a…dips***.” Grohl and Hawkins went on to discuss some of their favorite “cool band names,” including Rush, Queen, the Ramones, Styx – bit diehard Foo Fighters fans would probably agree that their band name definitely belongs on that list.
Will the Foo Fighters continue touring in the wake of Taylor Hawkins’ tragic death?
On March 25, 2022, news broke that Hawkins had died, shortly before the band was scheduled to play a gig in Colombia. At only 50 years old, Hawkins’ sudden passing shocked the music community, and threw the remaining members of Foo Fighters into a tailspin.
“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,” the band said in a statement, according to CNN.
In light of Hawkins’ death, the Foo Fighters have canceled all remaining tour dates for their expansive world tour, and have also dropped out of their scheduled performance at the Grammy Awards, according to Fox News. It is impossible to predict what lies ahead for the Foo Fighters, but it seems likely that for the next few months, the iconic band will be lying low to mourn the loss of the man who meant so much to them, both as a musician and as a friend.
