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 was the youngest of three, with an older brother and sister, Jason and Heather. He graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 1990, where he had been friends with current Yes lead vocalist Jon Davison.
Hawkins was known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he was a touring drummer for Sass Jordan and for Alanis Morissette, as well as the drummer of the progressive experimental band Sylvia.
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.
He formed the supergroup NHC with Jane’s Addiction members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney in 2020, where he also took on lead vocal and drumming duties.
From June 1995 until March 1997, Hawkins was Alanis Morissette‘s drummer on the tour supporting Jagged Little Pill and her Can’t Not tour. He appeared in the videos for You Oughta Know, All I Really Want, and You Learn. He also appeared on Morissette‘s VHS/DVD Jagged Little Pill, Live (1997).
After touring through the spring of 1996, Foo Fighters entered a Seattle studio with producer Gil Norton to record their second album. Conflict during recording reportedly erupted between Dave Grohl and drummer William Goldsmith, eventually causing Goldsmith to leave the band.
The band regrouped in Los Angeles and almost completely re recorded the album with Grohl on drums. The album, The Colour and the Shape, was released on May 20, 1997. Grohl called Hawkins, an acquaintance at the time, seeking his recommendations for a new drummer to join the band.
Grohl was under the impression that Hawkins would not leave Morissette‘s touring band, given she was a bigger act than Foo Fighters at the time. To Grohl‘s surprise, however, Hawkins volunteered to join the band himself, explaining that he wanted to be a drummer in a rock band rather than for a solo act.
The band announced Hawkins would be its new drummer on March 18, 1997. Hawkins first appeared with the Foo Fighters in the music video for the 1997 single Monkey Wrench, although the song was recorded before he joined the band.
In addition to his drumming with the Foo Fighters, Hawkins also provided vocals, guitar, and piano to various recordings. He performed the lead vocal on a cover of Pink Floyd‘s Have a Cigar. Two versions of the song were released, one as the B-side to Learn to Fly and another on the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack album.
He later sang lead vocals on Cold Day in the Sun from In Your Honor, which was later released as a single, as well as a cover of Cream‘s I Feel Free, which appeared as the B-side of DOA and on the EP Five Songs and a Cover.
Hawkins also sang lead vocals for the band’s cover of Joe Walsh‘s Life of Illusion. Later, he sang lead vocals for Sunday Rain, a track on the Foo Fighters‘ 2017 album Concrete and Gold.He sang lead vocals on some songs during Foo Fighters live shows, such as a cover of Queen‘s
Somebody To Love on his last concert with the band. He also contributed to the band’s songwriting, and was listed as a co-writer on every album since There Is Nothing Left to Lose.
Taylor Hawkins, died in March 25, 2022 while the Foo Fighters were on tour in Colombia. Hawkins was suffering from chest pain in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia, where emergency services were called to the hotel where medical personnel arrived and found Hawkins unconscious; he was given
PR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, at the age of 50. The following day, Colombian authorities announced that a preliminary urine toxicology test indicated that Hawkins had ten substances in his system at the time of his death, including opioids, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, and THC.
On June 8, 2022, the Foo Fighters and the family of Hawkins announced two shows in tribute to Hawkins. The first show, played at Wembley Stadium in London, took place on September 3, 2022.
The Foo Fighters were joined by vaious artists, and Wolfgang Van Halen, plus members of Hawkins‘s cover band, Chevy Metal. His son Oliver Shane Hawkins paid tribute to his father with the band during a performance of My Hero by taking on his father’s role as drummer.
The concert at Wembley Stadium was streamed live on YouTube and Paramount+, with a rerun being broadcast on CBS. Shane Hawkins was awarded the ‘Drum Performance of the Year‘ at the Drumeo Awards for this performance.
The guest list reunited, in whole or in part, several of Hawkins‘ favorite bands including Queen and Rush. Some had not played together for a long time, including Dave Grohl‘s supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (12 years) and the James Gang (16 years).
The second tribute concert, at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, took place on September 27, 2022, and featured Hawkins‘ bandmates as well as numerous guest artists.Taylor Hawkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a member of Foo Fighters.
Discography
Alanis Morissette
Jagged Little Pill, Live (1997)
Foo Fighters
Main article: Foo Fighters discography
There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)
One by One (2002)
In Your Honor (2005)
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)
Wasting Light (2011)
Sonic Highways (2014)
Saint Cecilia (2015)
Concrete and Gold (2017)
Medicine at Midnight (2021)
Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders
Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders (2006)
Red Light Fever (2010)
Get the Money (2019)
Nighttime Boogie Association
Long In The Tooth/The Path We’re On (Single) (2020)
NHC
Feed The Cruel/Better Move On (Single) (2021)
Devil That You Know/Lazy Eyes (Single) (2021)
Intakes & Outtakes (EP) (2022)
The Birds of Satan
The Birds of Satan (2014)
Coheed and Cambria
Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow (2007)
Solo
Taylor Hawkins (EP) (Recorded 1996; unreleased)
Kota (EP) (2016)
Session appearances
Help Wanted (2008): Eric Avery
Sound City: Real to Reel (2013): with Dave Grohl
Rush 2112: 40th Anniversary (2016): cover of composition “Overture” (part of 2112), with Dave Grohl and Nick Raskulinecz
Kind Heaven (2019): Perry Farrell
Plastic Hearts (2020): Miley Cyrus
The Lockdown Sessions (2021): Elton John
Patient Number 9 (2022): Ozzy Osbourne
Every Loser (2023): Iggy Pop w/ Eric Avery & NHC
Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 March 25, 2022).
