Remembering Taylor Hawkins. The late drummer’s son, Shane Hawkins, joined Foo Fighters for a Friday, May 26 performance at Boston Calling Music Festival.
Shane, 17, joined lead singer Dave Grohl and company to perform “I’ll Stick Around,” Us Weekly confirms.
“Thanks for last night #foofighters so much f–kin fun,” Shane shared via Instagram on Sunday, May 28.
The teenager is one of Taylor’s three surviving children along with sisters Annabelle and Everleigh. The Texas native, who shared the kids with wife Alison Hawkins, died suddenly in March 2022 at age 50 in Bogotá, Colombia. A cause of death was not announced, but a preliminary toxicology report claimed that he died with 10 substances in his system, including marijuana, benzodiazepines and opioids.
Following his death, Foo Fighters canceled their tour and took a hiatus before returning to the stage the following September for star-studded tributes to the late drummer. Shane took the stage to play “My Hero” with his father’s pals at the time.
“We have one more drummer that’s going to come up and play with us tonight. Let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone hit the drums as hard as this person,” Grohl, 53, told the packed stadium during the London show. “But beyond that, he’s a member of our family, and he needs to be here tonight with all of us. I think it makes sense that he’s going to come up and play with us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome, Mr. Shane Hawkins on the drums.”
At Friday’s Boston Calling show, Taylor was honored with the band’s performance of “Cold Day in the Sun.” Grohl told the audience, “I’m gonna do it for Taylor’s family. And I’m gonna do it for Taylor. Because we used to sing it together.”
Since the Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders frontman’s death, Josh Freese has taken over drumming duties with the “Everlong” performers. At Friday’s show, the new wore a cheeky T-shirt that said, “Fingers crossed for the new guy.”
He received a warm welcome from the crowd, who roared with applause every time the camera panned over to him. Grohl also introduced the new drummer, saying the band would not be able to tour without him.
Freese, who has previously toured with Guns N’ Roses and Sting, shared a photo from the Massachusetts set. “Surreal, bittersweet, optimistic,” he wrote via Instagram.
Foo Fighters will release their first album post-Hawkins’ death on June 2, titled But Here We Are.
Reporting by Leanne Aciz Stanton
