Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was part of the band’s performance at the Lollapalooza Festival in Argentina, on March 20, just six days before he died at the age of 50. As part of a regular occurrence in their concerts, Hawkins switched places with band frontman Dave Grohl and sang Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’ besides playing a touching tribute to the former Nirvana drummer. 

Hawkins told the crowd “I f***in’ love Dave Grohl, man. I’d be delivering pizzas if it wasn’t for f***in’ Dave Grohl. I’d be managing the drum department at a Guitar Center if it wasn’t for Dave Grohl”, a clip obtained by Deadline showed. 

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Hawkins death was announced on the band’s official page, along with a note saying “The Foo Fighters family is devasted by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever”, and added, “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”. 

In a statement carried in numerous Colombian newspapers, the police said that “The cause of death has yet to be established. According to those close to him, the death could be related to the consumption of drugs“, News.com.au reported. 

The band are touring South America currently and were next slated to play at the Festival Estereo Picnic in Bogota, Colombia.

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Hawkins, born in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Southern California as a child with his family. He gained popularity as a drummer for Alanis Morissette, before joining the Foo Fighters in 1997. The late drummer is survived by his wife and three children. His death has been mourned by the music world including former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.