Foo Fighters have shared a statement confirming they will continue without late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died last year.
Hawkins died in Bogotá, Colombia, in March 2022 while the band were on tour in South America. He was 50 years old.
Foo Fighters’ only performances since his death came at two massive tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles in September.
“As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us,” the band said in a statement posted to social media.
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) December 31, 2022
“Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music.
“Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were – and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward.”
They concluded the statement by acknowledging how much Hawkins had meant to Foo Fighters’ fans and promised: “We know that when we see you again – and we will soon – he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”
Last month, Foo Fighters’ publicist Steve Martin spoke about the “delicate process” of announcing and handling media coverage around Hawkins’ death. “There was a lot of second-hand talk in another magazine story, with people relaying things Taylor might have actually said but should have been left to friends talking amongst friends,” he said. “Managing that, and trying to make it cause as little pain as possible, was a really delicate procedure.”
Meanwhile, Hawkins will feature posthumously on Iggy Pop’s forthcoming new album ‘Every Loser’. Speaking to NME in a Big Read cover interview last month, the punk icon shared what the drummer brought to tracks on the record.
“Taylor came in with incredible style,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have that colour on the record. I was really sad and shocked to hear about him. I happened to know that hotel where he was. I’ve stayed in that town. The whole thing was something else. He did have a wonderful career doing what he wanted to do, and by all accounts, a good life.
“He drums up a storm on those tracks, and you can really hear it. He has this sort of bubbling quality, it’s really percolating.”
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