LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Hawkins, for 25 years the drummer for Foo Fighters and best friend of frontman Dave Grohl, has died during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50.
There were no immediate details on how Hawkins died, although the band said in a statement Friday that his death was a “tragic and untimely loss.”
Foo Fighters had been scheduled to play at a festival in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday night. Hawkins’ final concert was Sunday at another festival in San Isidro, Argentina.
Keep scrolling for a photo gallery of stars we’ve lost in 2022
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 1994
Meat Loaf, the heavyweight rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” died Jan. 20, 2022. He was 74.
AP file, 1994
Meat Loaf, the heavyweight rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” died Jan. 20, 2022. He was 74.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2008
Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, died Jan. 6, 2022. He was 94. Poitier won the best actor Oscar in 1964 for “Lilies of the Field.”
AP file, 2008
Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, died Jan. 6, 2022. He was 94. Poitier won the best actor Oscar in 1964 for “Lilies of the Field.”
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2010
Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, bee-hived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the girl group The Ronettes, died Jan. 12, 2022. She was 78.
AP file, 2010
Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, bee-hived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the girl group The Ronettes, died Jan. 12, 2022. She was 78.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2019
Bob Saget, the actor-comedian known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom “Full House” and as the wisecracking host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” died Jan. 9, 2022. He was 65.
AP file, 2019
Bob Saget, the actor-comedian known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom “Full House” and as the wisecracking host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” died Jan. 9, 2022. He was 65.
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2017
Louie Anderson, whose four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series “Baskets,” died Jan. 21, 2022. He was 68. In 2016, Anderson won a best supporting actor Emmy for his portrayal of Christine Baskets, mother to twins, in the FX series “Baskets.” He was a familiar face elsewhere on TV, including as host of a revival of the game show “Family Feud” from 1999 to 2002.
AP file, 2017
Louie Anderson, whose four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series “Baskets,” died Jan. 21, 2022. He was 68. In 2016, Anderson won a best supporting actor Emmy for his portrayal of Christine Baskets, mother to twins, in the FX series “Baskets.” He was a familiar face elsewhere on TV, including as host of a revival of the game show “Family Feud” from 1999 to 2002.
-
Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA, dies at 30
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, 1978
Howard Hesseman, best known as the hard-rocking disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati," died Jan. 28, 2022. In addition to earning two Emmy nominations for his role on "WKRP," Hesseman also appeared on "Head of the Class" and "One Day at a Time," along with guest appearances on "That 70's Show," among others. The Oregon native also hosted "Saturday Night Live" several times. — CNN
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, 1978
Howard Hesseman, best known as the hard-rocking disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati," died Jan. 28, 2022. In addition to earning two Emmy nominations for his role on "WKRP," Hesseman also appeared on "Head of the Class" and "One Day at a Time," along with guest appearances on "That 70's Show," among others. The Oregon native also hosted "Saturday Night Live" several times. — CNN
-
-
This week’s new TV, movies and more: ‘Turning Red,’ Ryan Reynolds and Mooski album
AP file, 2015
Sally Kellerman, the Oscar and Emmy nominated actor who played Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in director Robert Altman's 1970 film “MASH," died Feb. 24, 2022, at age 84. Kellerman had a career of more than 60 years in film and television. She played a college professor who was returning student Rodney Dangerfield's love interest in the 1986 comedy “Back to School.” But she would always be best known for playing Major Houlihan, a straitlaced, by-the-book Army nurse who is tormented by rowdy doctors during the Korean War in the army comedy “MASH."
AP file, 2015
Sally Kellerman, the Oscar and Emmy nominated actor who played Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in director Robert Altman's 1970 film “MASH," died Feb. 24, 2022, at age 84. Kellerman had a career of more than 60 years in film and television. She played a college professor who was returning student Rodney Dangerfield's love interest in the 1986 comedy “Back to School.” But she would always be best known for playing Major Houlihan, a straitlaced, by-the-book Army nurse who is tormented by rowdy doctors during the Korean War in the army comedy “MASH."
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2005
Peter Bogdanovich, the ascot-wearing cinephile and director of 1970s black-and-white classics like “The Last Picture Show” and “Paper Moon,” died Jan. 6, 2022. He was 82. Bogdanovich was heralded as an auteur from the start, with the chilling lone shooter film “Targets” and soon after “The Last Picture Show,” from 1971, his evocative portrait of a small, dying town that earned eight Oscar nominations and catapulted him to stardom.
AP file, 2005
Peter Bogdanovich, the ascot-wearing cinephile and director of 1970s black-and-white classics like “The Last Picture Show” and “Paper Moon,” died Jan. 6, 2022. He was 82. Bogdanovich was heralded as an auteur from the start, with the chilling lone shooter film “Targets” and soon after “The Last Picture Show,” from 1971, his evocative portrait of a small, dying town that earned eight Oscar nominations and catapulted him to stardom.
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2016
André Leon Talley, a towering figure who made fashion history as a rare Black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry, died Jan. 18, 2022. He was 73. Talley was the former creative director and editor at large of Vogue magazine. Often dressed in sweeping capes, he was a highly visible regular in the front row of fashion shows in New York and Europe for decades.
AP file, 2016
André Leon Talley, a towering figure who made fashion history as a rare Black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry, died Jan. 18, 2022. He was 73. Talley was the former creative director and editor at large of Vogue magazine. Often dressed in sweeping capes, he was a highly visible regular in the front row of fashion shows in New York and Europe for decades.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 1980
Marilyn Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with husband Alan Bergman on “The Way We Were,” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” and hundreds of other songs, died Jan. 8, 2022. She was 93.
AP file, 1980
Marilyn Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with husband Alan Bergman on “The Way We Were,” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” and hundreds of other songs, died Jan. 8, 2022. She was 93.
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2015
French actor Gaspard Ulliel, known for appearing in Chanel perfume ads as well as film and television roles, died Jan. 19, 2022, after a skiing accident in the Alps. He was 37. Ulliel portrayed the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007's “Hannibal Rising” and fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the 2014 biopic “Saint Laurent.” He is also in the Marvel series “Moon Knight."
AP file, 2015
French actor Gaspard Ulliel, known for appearing in Chanel perfume ads as well as film and television roles, died Jan. 19, 2022, after a skiing accident in the Alps. He was 37. Ulliel portrayed the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007's “Hannibal Rising” and fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the 2014 biopic “Saint Laurent.” He is also in the Marvel series “Moon Knight."
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2009
Ivan Reitman, the influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century, from “Animal House” to “Ghostbusters,” died Feb. 12, 2022. He was 75. Known for bawdy comedies that caught the spirit of their time, Reitman’s big break came with the raucous, college fraternity sendup “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” which he produced. He directed Bill Murray in his first starring role in the summer camp flick “Meatballs," and then again in 1981's “Stripes,” but his most significant success came with 1984’s “Ghostbusters.”
AP file, 2009
Ivan Reitman, the influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century, from “Animal House” to “Ghostbusters,” died Feb. 12, 2022. He was 75. Known for bawdy comedies that caught the spirit of their time, Reitman’s big break came with the raucous, college fraternity sendup “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” which he produced. He directed Bill Murray in his first starring role in the summer camp flick “Meatballs," and then again in 1981's “Stripes,” but his most significant success came with 1984’s “Ghostbusters.”
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2014
Dan Reeves, who won a Super Bowl as a player with the Dallas Cowboys but was best known for a long coaching career highlighted by four more appearances in the title game with the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons, all losses, died Jan. 1, 2022. He was 77.
AP file, 2014
Dan Reeves, who won a Super Bowl as a player with the Dallas Cowboys but was best known for a long coaching career highlighted by four more appearances in the title game with the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons, all losses, died Jan. 1, 2022. He was 77.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 1968
Don Maynard, a Hall of Fame receiver who made his biggest impact catching passes from Joe Namath in the wide-open AFL, died Jan. 10, 2022. He was 86. When Maynard retired in 1973, he was pro football’s career receiving leader with 633 catches for 11,834 yards and 88 touchdowns. The Jets retired his No. 13 jersey.
AP file, 1968
Don Maynard, a Hall of Fame receiver who made his biggest impact catching passes from Joe Namath in the wide-open AFL, died Jan. 10, 2022. He was 86. When Maynard retired in 1973, he was pro football’s career receiving leader with 633 catches for 11,834 yards and 88 touchdowns. The Jets retired his No. 13 jersey.
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2009
Michael Lang, a co-creator and promoter of the 1969 Woodstock music festival that served as a touchstone for generations of music fans, died Jan. 8, 2022. He was 77.
AP file, 2009
Michael Lang, a co-creator and promoter of the 1969 Woodstock music festival that served as a touchstone for generations of music fans, died Jan. 8, 2022. He was 77.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2019
Lawrence N. Brooks, the oldest World War II veteran in the U.S. — and believed to be the oldest man in the country — died Jan. 5, 2022, at the age of 112.
AP file, 2019
Lawrence N. Brooks, the oldest World War II veteran in the U.S. — and believed to be the oldest man in the country — died Jan. 5, 2022, at the age of 112.
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2019
Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars and later helped to bring attention to the Black pilots who had battled racism at home to fight for freedom abroad, died Jan. 16, 2022. He was 102.
AP file, 2019
Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars and later helped to bring attention to the Black pilots who had battled racism at home to fight for freedom abroad, died Jan. 16, 2022. He was 102.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2001
French fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, whose dramatic designs were worn by celebrities like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Cardi B, died Jan. 23, 2022. He was 73. Mugler, who launched his brand in 1973, became known for his architectural style, defined by broad shoulders and a tiny waist. The use of plastic-like futuristic fabric in his sculpted clothing became a trademark.
AP file, 2001
French fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, whose dramatic designs were worn by celebrities like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Cardi B, died Jan. 23, 2022. He was 73. Mugler, who launched his brand in 1973, became known for his architectural style, defined by broad shoulders and a tiny waist. The use of plastic-like futuristic fabric in his sculpted clothing became a trademark.
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 1981
Bill Fitch, who guided the Boston Celtics to one of their championships during a Hall of Fame coaching career spanning three decades, died Feb. 2, 2022. He was 89. A two-time NBA coach of the year, Fitch coached for 25 seasons in the NBA, starting with the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970. He was Larry Bird's first pro coach with Boston in 1979, won a title with the Celtics in 1981 and spent time with Houston, New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers.
AP file, 1981
Bill Fitch, who guided the Boston Celtics to one of their championships during a Hall of Fame coaching career spanning three decades, died Feb. 2, 2022. He was 89. A two-time NBA coach of the year, Fitch coached for 25 seasons in the NBA, starting with the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970. He was Larry Bird's first pro coach with Boston in 1979, won a title with the Celtics in 1981 and spent time with Houston, New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file, 2006
Gary Brooker, the Procol Harum frontman who sang one of the 1960s' most enduring hits, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” died Feb. 19, 2022. He was 76. Brooker was singer and keyboard player with the band, which had a huge hit with its first single, “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” With its Baroque-flavored organ solo and mysterious opening line - “We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor" — the song became one of the signature tunes of the 1967 “Summer of Love.”
AP file, 2006
Gary Brooker, the Procol Harum frontman who sang one of the 1960s' most enduring hits, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” died Feb. 19, 2022. He was 76. Brooker was singer and keyboard player with the band, which had a huge hit with its first single, “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” With its Baroque-flavored organ solo and mysterious opening line - “We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor" — the song became one of the signature tunes of the 1967 “Summer of Love.”
-
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file
Charley Taylor, the Hall of Fame receiver who ended his 13-season career with Washington as the NFL's career receptions leader, died Feb. 19, 2022. He was 80. Taylor was the 1964 NFL rookie of the year and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-1960s Team. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection was a first-team all-NFL pick in 1967.
AP file
Charley Taylor, the Hall of Fame receiver who ended his 13-season career with Washington as the NFL's career receptions leader, died Feb. 19, 2022. He was 80. Taylor was the 1964 NFL rookie of the year and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-1960s Team. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection was a first-team all-NFL pick in 1967.
-
P.J. O’Rourke, irreverent author and commentator, dies at 74
AP file
Dwayne Hickman, the actor and network TV executive who despite numerous achievements throughout his life would always be remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis, died Jan. 9, 2022. He was 87.
AP file
Dwayne Hickman, the actor and network TV executive who despite numerous achievements throughout his life would always be remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis, died Jan. 9, 2022. He was 87.
-
-
US man who received 1st pig heart transplant dies after 2 months
©PBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
Emilio Delgado, who spent more than 40 years entertaining generations of children playing the Fix-It Shop owner Luis on "Sesame Street," died March 10, 2022. He was 81. Delgado had cited the PBS show's importance as a cultural touchstone in the way people of color were depicted on TV. — CNN
Emilio Delgado, 'Sesame Street's' Luis for more than 40 years, dies at 81
©PBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
Emilio Delgado, who spent more than 40 years entertaining generations of children playing the Fix-It Shop owner Luis on "Sesame Street," died March 10, 2022. He was 81. Delgado had cited the PBS show's importance as a cultural touchstone in the way people of color were depicted on TV. — CNN
Emilio Delgado, 'Sesame Street's' Luis for more than 40 years, dies at 81
-
US man who received 1st pig heart transplant dies after 2 months
AP file, 1986
William Hurt, whose laconic charisma and self-assured subtlety as an actor made him one of the 1980s foremost leading men in movies such as “Broadcast News," “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill,” died March 13, 2022. He was 71. In a long-running career, Hurt was four times nominated for an Academy Award, winning for 1985's “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” After his breakthrough in 1980’s Paddy Chayefsky-scripted “Altered States” as a psychopathologist studying schizophrenia and experimenting with sensory deprivation, Hurt quickly emerged as a mainstay of the '80s.
AP file, 1986
William Hurt, whose laconic charisma and self-assured subtlety as an actor made him one of the 1980s foremost leading men in movies such as “Broadcast News," “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill,” died March 13, 2022. He was 71. In a long-running career, Hurt was four times nominated for an Academy Award, winning for 1985's “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” After his breakthrough in 1980’s Paddy Chayefsky-scripted “Altered States” as a psychopathologist studying schizophrenia and experimenting with sensory deprivation, Hurt quickly emerged as a mainstay of the '80s.
-
-
Singer Traci Braxton of ‘Family Values’ dies at 50
AP file, 2016
Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died of cancer. She was 84. President Bill Clinton chose Albright as America’s top diplomat in 1996, and she served in that capacity for the last four years of the Clinton administration. She had previously been Clinton's ambassador to the United Nations.
AP file, 2016
Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died of cancer. She was 84. President Bill Clinton chose Albright as America’s top diplomat in 1996, and she served in that capacity for the last four years of the Clinton administration. She had previously been Clinton's ambassador to the United Nations.
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
The Foo Fighters, from left, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl and Chris Shiflett are photographed before their concert in Duluth, Ga., Sept. 8, 2005. On "In Your Honor," the Foo Fighters' surprising new double disc and fifth album, Grohl dramatically expands his band's sound, splitting the album's 20 songs between characteristically explosive electric tunes, and quiet, acoustic numbers. (AP Photo/John Amis)
AP file
The Foo Fighters, from left, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl and Chris Shiflett are photographed before their concert in Duluth, Ga., Sept. 8, 2005. On "In Your Honor," the Foo Fighters' surprising new double disc and fifth album, Grohl dramatically expands his band's sound, splitting the album's 20 songs between characteristically explosive electric tunes, and quiet, acoustic numbers. (AP Photo/John Amis)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Music group Foo Fighters are photographed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. From left are Chris Shiflett, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl and Nate Mendel. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
AP file
Music group Foo Fighters are photographed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. From left are Chris Shiflett, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl and Nate Mendel. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Foo Fighters Dave Grohl, right, and Taylor Hawkins announce nominees for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, in Los Angeles. The Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
AP file
Foo Fighters Dave Grohl, right, and Taylor Hawkins announce nominees for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, in Los Angeles. The Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Musician Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters arrives at the VH1 Rock Honors “The Who” on Saturday July 12, 2008 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
AP file
Musician Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters arrives at the VH1 Rock Honors “The Who” on Saturday July 12, 2008 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Recording artists Gannin Arnold, left, and Taylor Hawkins pose for a portrait Thursday, May 6, 2010 in New York. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)
AP file
Recording artists Gannin Arnold, left, and Taylor Hawkins pose for a portrait Thursday, May 6, 2010 in New York. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins, of Foo Fighters, accepts the rock song award at the 54th annual Grammy Awards pre-show on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins, of Foo Fighters, accepts the rock song award at the 54th annual Grammy Awards pre-show on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins, left, and Nate Mendel of the band the Foo Fighters arrive at the premiere of the documentary film "Sound City" at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, in Park City, Utah. The film is directed by Foo Fighters band member, Dave Grohl. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins, left, and Nate Mendel of the band the Foo Fighters arrive at the premiere of the documentary film "Sound City" at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, in Park City, Utah. The film is directed by Foo Fighters band member, Dave Grohl. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Dave Grohl, right, and Taylor Hawkins attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision)
AP file
Dave Grohl, right, and Taylor Hawkins attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins, left, and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters react as they induct the band Rush into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins, left, and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters react as they induct the band Rush into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
FILE - Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, right, and Alison Hawkins arrive at the Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)
AP file
FILE - Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, right, and Alison Hawkins arrive at the Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Rami Jaffee, from left, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear attend the premiere of HBO's "Foo Fighters Sonic Highway" on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, In New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
AP file
Rami Jaffee, from left, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear attend the premiere of HBO's "Foo Fighters Sonic Highway" on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, In New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Alison Hawkins, left and Taylor Hawkins attend Burberry's "London in Los Angeles" event at the Griffith Observatory on Thursday, April 16, 2015. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
AP file
Alison Hawkins, left and Taylor Hawkins attend Burberry's "London in Los Angeles" event at the Griffith Observatory on Thursday, April 16, 2015. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters attends a cooking demonstration at BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival at Napa Valley Expo on Sunday, May 29, 2016, in Napa, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters attends a cooking demonstration at BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival at Napa Valley Expo on Sunday, May 29, 2016, in Napa, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins of the band The Foo Fighters performs with Chevy Metal during Day 1 of the Rock Allegiance Festival at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Chester, Pa. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins of the band The Foo Fighters performs with Chevy Metal during Day 1 of the Rock Allegiance Festival at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Chester, Pa. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Franz Stahl, from left, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, and Chris Shiflett of The Foo Fighters arrive at the 58th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
AP file
Franz Stahl, from left, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, and Chris Shiflett of The Foo Fighters arrive at the 58th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins seen at One Love Malibu at King Gillette Ranch on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Calabasas, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins seen at One Love Malibu at King Gillette Ranch on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Calabasas, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
Taylor Hawkins of Chevy Metal performs during KAABOO 2019 at the Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, in San Diego, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
AP file
Taylor Hawkins of Chevy Metal performs during KAABOO 2019 at the Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, in San Diego, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
-
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
FILE - Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters performs at Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival at The Park at Harlinsdale on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Franklin, Tenn. (Photo by Al Wagner/Invision/AP, File)
AP file
FILE - Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters performs at Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival at The Park at Harlinsdale on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Franklin, Tenn. (Photo by Al Wagner/Invision/AP, File)
-
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead at 50
AP file
FILE - Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters performs at the Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday, Feb, 26 2022, in Tempe, Ariz. Hawkins, the longtime drummer for the rock band Foo Fighters, has died, according to reports, Friday, March 25, 2022. He was 50. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
AP file
FILE - Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters performs at the Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday, Feb, 26 2022, in Tempe, Ariz. Hawkins, the longtime drummer for the rock band Foo Fighters, has died, according to reports, Friday, March 25, 2022. He was 50. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
“His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever,” said a message on the band’s official Twitter account that was also emailed to reporters. “Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family.”
Police vehicles, an ambulance and fans were gathered outside the hotel in northern Bogota where Hawkins was believed to have been staying.
“It was a band I grew up with. This leaves me empty,” Juan Sebastian Anchique, 23, told The Associated Press as he mourned Hawkins outside the hotel.
Authorities in Colombia have not commented on Hawkins’ death. The U.S. Embassy in Bogota expressed its condolences in a tweet.
AP Photo/Leonardo Munoz
Police stand guard the hotel where drummer Taylor Hawkins was found dead in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, March 26, 2022. Hawkins, for 25 years the drummer for Foo Fighters and best friend of frontman Dave Grohl, has died during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50.
After Grohl, Hawkins was the most recognizable member of the group, appearing alongside the lead singer in interviews and playing prominent, usually comic, roles in the band’s memorable videos and their recent horror-comedy film, “Studio 666.”
Hawkins was Alanis Morrissette’s touring drummer when he joined Foo Fighters in 1997. He played on the band’s biggest albums including “One by One” and “On Your Honor,” and on hit singles including “My Hero” and “Best of You.”
In Grohl’s 2021 book “The Storyteller,” he called Hawkins his “brother from another mother, my best friend, a man for whom I would take a bullet.”
Photo by Al Wagner/Invision/AP, File
FILE - Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters performs at Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival at The Park at Harlinsdale on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Franklin, Tenn. Hawkins, the longtime drummer for the rock band Foo Fighters, has died, according to reports, Friday, March 25, 2022. He was 50.
“Upon first meeting, our bond was immediate, and we grew closer with every day, every song, every note that we ever played together,” Grohl wrote. “We are absolutely meant to be, and I am grateful that we found each other in this lifetime.”
It’s the second time Grohl has experienced the death of a close bandmate. Grohl was the drummer for Nirvana when Kurt Cobain died in 1994.
Tributes poured out on social media for Hawkins on Friday night.
“God bless you Taylor Hawkins,” Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello said on Twitter along with a photo of himself, Hawkins and Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Ferrell. “I loved your spirit and your unstoppable rock power.”
“What an incredible talent, who didn’t also need to be so kind and generous and cool but was all those things too anyway,” tweeted Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, co-writer and producer. “The world was so lucky to have his gifts for the time that it did.”
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Foo Fighters Dave Grohl, right, and Taylor Hawkins announce nominees for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, in Los Angeles. The Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 10, 2008.
Born Oliver Taylor Hawkins in Fort Worth Texas in 1972, Hawkins was raised in Laguna Beach, California. He played in the small Southern California band Sylvia before landing his first major gig as a drummer for Canadian singer Sass Jordan.
Hawkins told The Associated Press in 2019 that his early drumming influences included Stewart Copeland of The Police, Roger Taylor from Queen, and Phil Collins, who he said was “one of my favorite drummers ever. You know, people forget that he was a great drummer as well as a sweater-wearing nice guy from the ’80s, poor fella.”
When he spent two years in the mid-1990s drumming for Morrissette, he was inspired primarily by the playing of Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins.
“My drums were set up like him, the whole thing,” Hawkins told the AP. “I was still sort of a copycat at that point. It takes a while and takes a little while to sort of establish your own sort of style. I didn’t sound exactly like him, I sound like me, but he was a big, huge influence.”
Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File
FILE - Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, right, and Alison Hawkins arrive at the Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Hawkins, the longtime drummer for the rock band Foo Fighters, has died, according to reports, Friday, March 25, 2022. He was 50.
He and Grohl met backstage at a show when Hawkins was still with Morrissette. Grohl’s band would have an opening soon after when then-drummer William Goldsmith left. Grohl called Hawkins, who was a huge Foo Fighters fan and immediately accepted.
“I am not afraid to say that our chance meeting was a kind of love at first sight, igniting a musical ‘twin flame’ that still burns to this day,” Grohl wrote in his book. “Together, we have become an unstoppable duo, onstage and off, in pursuit of any and all adventure we can find.”
Hawkins first appeared with the band in the 1997 video for Foo Fighters’ most popular song, “Everlong,” although he had yet to join the group when the song was recorded. He would, however, go on to pound out epic versions of it hundreds of times as the climax of Foo Fighters’ concerts.
In another highlight of the group’s live shows, Grohl would get behind the drums and Hawkins would grab the mic to sing a cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.”
“The best part of getting to be the lead singer of the Foo Fighters for just for one song is I really do have the greatest rock ‘n’ roll drummer on the planet earth,” Hawkins said before the song in a March 18 concert in Chile.
Grohl can be heard telling him to shut up.
Hawkins also co-starred in Foo Fighters’ recently released horror-comedy film, “Studio 666,” in which a demonic force in a house where the band is staying seizes Grohl and makes him murderous. Hawkins and the other members of the band are killed off one by one. The premise came out of their work on their 10th studio album at a home in Los Angeles.
He also drummed and sang for the side-project trio Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. They released an album, “Get the Money,” in 2006.
Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.
***
***
