A sentimental fashion statement. Billie Eilish paid tribute to late Foo Fighters member Taylor Hawkins during her Grammy Awards performance.
The Los Angeles native, 20, sang “Happier Than Ever” at the Sunday, April 3, awards show while wearing black pants and a matching tee. The shirt featured a photo of the drummer, and his last name was printed on the back in capital letters.
While attending the Academy Awards last week, the “Ocean Eyes” singer told Access Hollywood that Hawkins’ death was “incredibly heartbreaking.” The Golden Globe winner added, “It was right before we went on stage [in Seattle, Washington]. And we got the news, and it really, really tore us all apart. It’s horribly, horribly tragic.”
Her brother, Finneas, chimed in, “Taylor was such a legendary player. We were admirers of his work years before we got to meet him. And we only met him a handful of times… I wish we got to spend more time with him, but he couldn’t have been a kinder, cooler, more generous person as well. And such a deeply inspiring person. We’re just heartbroken.”
The California native died at age 50 a week before the Grammys. Hawkins was found in his Bogota, Colombia, hotel room on March 25 and declared dead on arrival after emergency services were requested. A preliminary toxicology test subsequently revealed that there were marijuana, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids in his system at the time.
Hawkins is survived by his three children — Oliver, Annabelle, and Everleigh — and wife Alison Hawkins.
Taylor was a proud “suburban dad,” he gushed to Billboard of his girls in November 2019. “I can’t write about being young and going to clubs, and I’m not very political,” the musician said at the time. “It’s all sort of tongue-in-cheek though.”
While the Foo Fighters were supposed to perform at the 64th annual Grammys, the rock band canceled the appearance as well as their tour. The group did, however, win three awards on Sunday for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album.
The surviving members called Hawkins’ death a “staggering loss” in a Tuesday, March 29, statement.
“We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned,” Dave Grohol, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Rami Jaffee and Franz Stahl wrote. “Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to her, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together.”
