I woke up today absolutely gutted by the news that Taylor Hawkins, drummer for the Foo Fighters, had died. He was only fifty years old. Hawkins leaves behind his wife Alison, his 16-year-old son Oliver Shane, and his 13-year-old daughter Annabelle.

"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."

The Foo Fighters are one of the last remaining true rock n' roll bands we have left. Sure, we have bands with people who play drums and guitar. But they're not badass rock n' roll. A distinction I didn't realize until I saw the Foos at The Garden a few years ago. They're rock n' roll you feel in your soul. And Hawkins was a key component, both as a drummer as well as an occasional frontman. He let Dave Grohl play drums for a song, stepped upfront with his stretchy pants designed like Eddie Van Halen's guitar and belted out Queen's "Under Pressure." This video is from a different performance. Same pants, different drummer.

Foo Fighters + Roger Taylor - Under Pressure (Super Saturday Night 2019)youtu.be

Hawkins was a man who loved music and was beloved by his peers. My Instagram feed is full of artists across all music genres sharing their memories of him. He always seemed like the guy who you would enjoy being around, that friend who always had you laughing.

It's too early to speculate, obviously, on the future of the band. But it's difficult to imagine a Foo Fighters without Taylor Hawkins. John and Paul. Mick and Keith. Dave and Taylor. Hawkins was that invaluable. He was the Foo Fighters, every bit as much as Dave Grohl, who now faces a huge loss of a partner and brother for the second time in his life.

Rest in Peace, Taylor Hawkins. Thank you for the music.

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MUSIC VIDEO: Best of You (Trump Edition) | Foo Fighters Parody | Louder With Crowderyoutu.be