By Squiggly Meyers
The rock world mourns the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, (Foo Fighters, Alanis Morissette, Sass Jordan & the progressive experimental band Sylvia) after his untimely death Friday at the age of 50. Oliver Taylor Hawkins was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 17, 1972. His family moved to Laguna Beach, California, in 1976, where Hawkins grew up. Hawkins’ siblings include his brother Jason and his sister Heather. He graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 1990. In 2004, Hawkins formed his own side project, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, in which he played drums and sang, releasing three studio albums between 2006 and 2019.
In 2021, he formed the supergroup NHC with Jane’s Addiction members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney, where he also took on lead vocal and drumming duties. The band’s sole album is due for release in 2022. Hawkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a member of Foo Fighters. He was voted “Best Rock Drummer” in 2005 by the British drumming magazine “Rhythm“. Hawkins said that his drumming was chiefly influenced by classic rock drummers, including Phil Collins of Genesis, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Budgie of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Roger Taylor of Queen, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Ringo Starr of The Beatles, Jim Gordon of Derek and the Dominos, and Neil Peart of Rush. Hawkins was once guest editor of “Rhythm” and interviewed Collins, Copeland, Taylor, and Perkins for the issue.
Hawkins’s first two major inspirations were Roger Taylor and Stewart Copeland. He reported that listening to these two drummers’ different styles showed him a wide spectrum of drumming style. Taylor’s career was a rich one, as you can see. 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.
I think we can all agree that Taylor was a candle that burned extra bright. Sadly, those are the ones who extinguish the quickest in life, but they leave a mark that will last for the ages. What else can one say of him? He will be missed by a generation that grew up listening to him and watching him, with his quirky smile and zest for life. In his own way he won over a lot of hearts with his infectious charisma and joy. We here at Rock The Alphabet would like to simply say, Thank you for the music brother, you will be missed. ~ Squiggly Meyers
A message from Bossman: Thank you Taylor for the great music. Growing up with Foo Fighters on the radio was one of the reasons for my love of Rock and Roll. You are one of the greats, and the world was better for it. Seeing all the pictures from all sorts of bands and artists over the past week shows us all how much you ment to all of them. Your smile was contagious and we all will miss you greatly. Peace, Love, and Rock and Roll. Miss you brother.
Resources for this article taken from the web…
