Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese shares poignant Taylor Hawkins tribute
Josh Freese, the drummer who replaced Taylor Hawkins in Foo Fighters following his tragic death in 2022, has paid an emotional tribute on his first anniversary with the band.
Hawkins tragically passed away on March 25th, 2022, at the age of 50. The band announced the news in a statement on social media, and it was later revealed that an accidental drug overdose was the cause of death.
The late drummer’s longtime friend and bandmate Dave Grohl led the tributes. Foo Fighters’ statement read, “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. 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.”
Additional tributes from within and outside the musical community poured in for Hawkins, including those from Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, Queen guitarist Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, John Mayer, Sam Fender, Ringo Starr, Nickelback and Incubus.
More than two years have now passed since Hawkins’ death. Josh Freese, who took over as Foo Fighters’ drummer on May 21st, 2023, following a respectful hiatus, has made a statement detailing his gratitude to Foo Fighters and tributing Hawkins’ memory.
In a post on his Instagram page, Freese began by recalling the livestream event Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts, during which the band announced his new position. He wrote, “A year ago today, this aired, and I got to stop keeping quiet about what had been referred to as ‘the worst kept secret in the music business’ at the time (though I thought we did a pretty good job on our end.)”
Continuing, the drummer noted that, while he was ecstatic to take the prestigious post, it was the result of a tragedy fans must never forget. “I love the way it came out and am proud of it,” he noted. “That being said, I continue to miss Taylor, as does the band, his family, friends and the rest of the world. We also continue to try and make the most of the situation by moving forward and doing what we love doing… playing music, honoring Taylor and staying positive.”
Over the past year, Freese has already racked up an impressive 70 concerts with Foo Fighters, including their emphatic “secret” set at Glastonbury in 2023. The festival line-up listed the band furtively as The Churnups.
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