Taylor Hawkins’ family has broken their silence more than two months after the musician’s shocking death at age 50.
Alison Hawkins, who was the late Foo Fighter’s drummer’s wife and shared children Oliver, Annabelle and Everleigh with him, released a statement via Taylor’s social media pages on Wednesday, June 8.
“My deepest thanks and admiration go out to the global Foo Fighters community and Taylor’s fans far and wide for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor,” she wrote in the lengthy letter. “Your kindness has been an invaluable comfort my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief.”
She continued, noting how much he appreciated his fans: “As Taylor’s wife, and on behalf of our children, I want to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to ‘knocking your socks off’ during every performance. Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We considered every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.”
Alison concluded, “Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created.”
“In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us,” she wrote. “Thank you all again for your love and sympathy. Taylor loved all of you & we love you too.”
Following Alison’s statement, the Foo Fighters announced two tribute concerts for their deceased band member, one in London on September 3 and one in Los Angeles on September 27. The shows will mark the band’s first public performances since their drummer died.
“For our dear friend, our badass bandmate, our beloved brother … Foo Fighters and The Hawkins family bring you the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts,” the announcement read.
“Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee will come together with the Hawkins family to celebrate the life, music and love of their husband, father, brother and bandmate with The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts,” the official description of the show reveals. Other artists are expected to be added to the lineup.
Previously, the Foo Fighters drummer’s death was confirmed on Friday, March 25, by members of his band.
“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the group wrote via a Twitter statement at the time. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”
The Texas native was on tour with the band in Bogotá, Colombia, when he passed away. Shortly before his death, Taylor allegedly suffered chest pain, resulting in an ambulance being dispatched to his hotel.
When the paramedics arrived at the location the songwriter was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead after attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, according to a statement from the city’s District Secretary of Health.
Colombian authorities later claimed that The Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders frontman had 10 drugs present in his body at the time of his death.
The country’s General of the Nation in Fiscalía reported via a statement on Saturday, March 26, that a preliminary toxicology test allegedly uncovered the presence of marijuana, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids in his system. An investigation into the cause of his death is ongoing.
The loss of Taylor — who joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after William Goldsmith’s departure — was felt by many, including Lenny Kravitz.
The “American Woman” singer, 57, wrote a heartfelt tribute via Twitter on Saturday, writing, “A rock and roll brother has gone home too soon. My deepest condolences to his family, Dave Grohl, and the @FooFighters. Taylor played from the heart with power and joy. May he Rest In Peace.”
The members of the Foo Fighters have yet to speak out individually about Taylor’s death, but the men were spotted hugging and crying when they arrived back in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 27.
