SONG: "Somebody To Love" (Queen cover)
ARTIST: Foo Fighters
ALBUM: None (live performance from Argentina. 3-20-2022)
YEAR: 2022
IN MEMORIAM
TAYLOR HAWKINS
2/17/1972 - 3/25/2022
Wow. What a bad way to wake up today. A friend of mine sent a text saying that Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away shortly before the band was supposed to play live in Colombia. Unreal. This dude seemed to be in such great shape and was always in great spirits it seemed. In every interview I saw of him he was always joking and happy and it just reflected off of him. So for this week of my song of the week blog, I choose to dedicate to Taylor Hawkins. This would be the last time he would perform live with the Foo's and fittingly, I chose their cover of Queen's "Somebody To Love". The band has performed this song many times live and it gives Taylor a chance to take the mic for lead vocals and allows Dave Grohl to get behind the drum kit. Taylor Hawkins was a huge Queen fan and over time formed a great friendship with Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor. He was also heavily influenced musically by The Police and Genesis as well. Taylor Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997. As the Foo's were recording "The Colour And The Shape", their current drummer William Goldsmith wasn't cutting it so Grohl completed the drum tracks for the album. When Goldsmith left, or was kicked out depending on what story you believe, Grohl was left looking for a new drummer. He met Taylor at an Alanis Morissette gig as Hawkins was her touring drummer. The two formed an instant connection and when Dave asked Taylor if he knew of any good drummers that could join the Foo Fighters, Hawkins didn't hesitate and said he would join. Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins would become the best of friends since that day as well as being bandmates. Selfishly, I hope Dave Grohl will continue on with the Foo Fighters. When he was in Nirvana anc Kurt Cobain killed himself, Dave wasn't quite sure he could ever play music again but eventually, it was that music that helped him get through. You could easily argue that this tragic death may hit him even harder. He and Taylor were best buds for over twenty years now. There are stories out there that Cobain's relationship with Grohl was lukewarm at best so Taylor's death must be crushing him right now. You could see how much these guys enjoyed each other's company in interviews that they've done together. You could just see their connection was pure. The Foo Fighters have been around for so long now and i've been a fan for so long that when something like this happens, it almost feels like you've lost a friend. There is not more than a few days that goes by that I'm not listening to a Foo Fighters song with Taylor Hawkins pounding away on the drums. And speaking of drums, what a testament to this guy for excelling and meeting the expectations of one of the greatest drummers in rock and roll history, Dave Grohl. Taylor didn't miss a beat when playing songs from the first two Foo albums that Grohl laid the studio drum tracks on and his contributions to the rest of their discography are outstanding. Taylor had the chops no doubt. His love for classic rock led him to form the cover band Chevy Metal which is a kick ass cover band. His love of 70's glam rock led him to form Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. And most recently he had formed a band with Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney called NHC. But his first love in music was always being behind his best friend Dave Grohl as the bad ass drummer of the Foo Fighters. Just 50 years old and gone way too soon. I don't know what the cause was and I'm sure all that stuff will come out soon. No matter what it is, it definitely sucks and my prayers go out to his wife and kids and his bandmates. Rest in peace Taylor Hawkins.
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