Drummers have had to learn to live with satirical jokes about their musicality or aspects of their personality, but Taylor Hawkins proved that the drummer can be a star in his own right and that being a drummer can happily coexist with being a singer, songwriter and bandleader.
Hawkins, who died suddenly at the age of 50 while touring with Foo Fighters in Colombia, had been a member of the group since 1997. His first album with them was There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999), which reached the top 10 in the US and UK and earned them their first Grammy Award (for Best Rock Album).
Hawkins continued on drums for seven more Foo Fighters albums as they established themselves as one of the world’s top rock acts, attracting adoring hordes of fans internationally. To date they have won 12 Grammys and their consistently successful albums have topped the US Albums Chart twice and the UK Charts five times. Her latest album “Medicine at Midnight” is nominated for three Grammys, the awards ceremony will take place on April 3rd.
In addition to his musical ability, Hawkins brought humor, enthusiasm and personality to the group. In addition to singing on the Foo Fighters songs Cold Day in the Sun and Sunday Rain, he often sang covers with the band and regularly co-wrote their albums. At recent live shows, he’d picked up the mic to follow in Freddie Mercury’s footsteps — not a job for the faint of heart — and play an oversized version of Queen’s Somebody to Love, like he did on his last performance with the band at the Lollapalooza Argentina did March 20th.
He always threw himself into his work behind the drums with passionate, arm-thumping intensity. His blond hair and athletic build gave him the air of stepping out of the California surf, which was underscored by his fondness for sleeveless T-shirts and Bermuda shorts. But he combined showmanship with technical prowess, coupled with knowledge and respect for music history.
He recalled how attending a Queen concert in 1982 was a life-changing experience – “it was the beginning of my obsession with rock ‘n’ roll, and I knew I wanted to be in a big rock band”.
One of his main inspirations was Roger Taylor, drummer for Queen, alongside Stewart Copeland of Police, Phil Collins, Larry Mullen of U2 and Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction. He also picked up tips from jazz drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.
Hawkins was born in Fort Worth, Texas to businessman Terry Hawkins and his wife Elizabeth Ann. He had two older siblings, Heather and Jason. In 1976, the family moved to Laguna Beach, California, and Hawkins graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 1990. When he was 10 years old, his parents bought him a drum kit, which turned out to be a pivotal moment.
“I was a fat, chubby, stupid kid who failed at everything and nobody liked,” he later recalled. “Then I started playing the drums.” His mother always supported him in his endeavors to sing and play the drums. “She was a huge supporter and told me I could do it,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It counteracted Dad’s stony coldness, typical of a 1970s man.”
He began performing with local groups, and after being the drummer for progressive rock-influenced Sylvia, he joined singer Sass Jordan’s backing group. Then his profile got a big boost when he was recruited to join Alanis Morissette’s band as she toured in 1995 with her seminal album Jagged Little Pill (it sold more than 30 million copies worldwide). Hawkins appeared in the video for You Oughta Know, the album’s first single, which contributed to its meteoric success, and also in the video for You Learn.
While touring with Morissette, Hawkins met Dave Grohl, founder of Foo Fighters, as they were often on the same festival bills. On both a personal and musical level, the pair bonded instantly, as Grohl described. “Our musical relationship – the foundation of that is our friendship and that’s why when we jump on stage and play, we’re so connected because we’re best friends.”
When Foo Fighters needed a drummer in 1997 after William Goldsmith left during filming of the band’s second album, The Color and the Shape, Hawkins was the obvious choice. The fact that he also had ambitions as a singer and songwriter meant he didn’t hesitate to leave his job with Morissette.
In addition to his work for Foo Fighters, Hawkins released three albums with his band Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, played covers with Chevy Metal, released one album with the Birds of Satan, and had another album due out in 2022 with NHC, which featured Hawkins alongside Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction.
Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison, whom he married in 2005, and their children, Oliver, Annabelle and Everleigh.
Oliver Taylor Hawkins, drummer, singer and songwriter, born February 17, 1972; died March 25, 2022