Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has died, according to the band's rep. No cause of death or further details were immediately announced, although the band was scheduled to perform in Bogota, Colombia on Friday night. He was 50.
Hawkins, who joined the band in 1997 after two years as Alanis Morissette's drummer, was a key element of the Foo Fighters' sound and image. An imaginative and rock-solid drummer, he had the seemingly thankless task of playing drums behind Foos singer-guitarist Dave Grohl, who is one of the greatest drummers in rock history. Hawkins filled that role with aplomb, bringing his own hard-hitting, time-juggling style to the band's straight-ahead rock sound without trying to emulate Grohl. He was also a strong singer and frequently took the mic during the band's concerts and on B-sides, often on cover versions (such as a 2008 team-up with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, when Grohl went behind the drum kit at Hawkins took the mic). He also cowrote many of the band's songs.
Oh my, he was too young to die.
