Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts
The Foo Fighters and the Hawkins Family will come together to pay tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins in a Two Global Events celebration set to take place in September, First in London, England, and the Second in Los Angeles California.
Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee will come together with the Hawkins family to celebrate the life, music and love of their husband, father, brother and bandmate with The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts – A Two Global Events Celebrating the Memory & Music of a Rock Legend.
The dates and first wave of lineups have been announced. The First concert is to take place on September 3rd at London’s Wembley Stadium. Performers include a mix of the late drummer’s friends and influences: Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, Mark Ronson, the Police’s Stewart Copeland, Wolfgang Van Halen, Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney, veteran jazz/rock drummer Omar Hakim, Queen touring member Rufus Taylor and Hawkins’ cover band Chevy Metal will play at both shows. Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, Oasis’ Liam Gallagher, and Supergrass are on the bill for London only, with comedian Dave Chappelle billed as a Special Guest. Plus more to be announced!
The Second concert is to take place on September 27th at the Los Angeles Kia Forum. Performers include Police’s Stewart Copeland, Chris Channey, Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett, Alanis Morissette, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Struts singer Luke Spiller, Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore, Weezer drummer Pat Wilson, and Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk. Plus more to be announced!
According to the announcement made on their website and social media pages, the artists will be – “playing the songs that Taylor loved and created, with and alongside his Foo Fighters brothers Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, and Rami Jaffee.”
As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor’s monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends, and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 26, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family, and of course his Foo Fighters brothers in celebration of Taylor’s memory and his legacy as a global rock icon.
STATEMENT FROM THE HAWKINS FAMILY –
My deepest thanks and admiration go out to the global Foo Fighters community and Taylor’s fans far and wide for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor. Your kindness has been an invaluable comfort for my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief.
As Taylor’s wife, and on behalf of our children, I want to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to “knocking your socks off” during every performance. Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We consider every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.
Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created.
In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us.
Thank you all again for your love and sympathy. Taylor loved all of you & we love you too.
With gratitude,
Alison Hawkins
The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will benefit charities in both the UK and the US were chosen by the Hawkins family. Beneficiaries and further details will be announced shortly.
Taylor Hawkins joined Foo Fighters in 1997, first appearing with the band on the tour supporting the sophomore album “The Colour & The Shape“. He made his recorded debut with Foo Fighters in 1999 with “There Is Nothing Left To Lose”, and played on every subsequent album including – “One By One“, “In Your Honor” (the first FF album to feature him assuming lead vocal duties on his song “Cold Day In The Sun”), “Echoes“, “Silence, Patience & Grace“, “Wasting Light“, “Sonic Highways“, “Concrete & Gold” (also featuring him as lead singer on “Sunday Rain”) and “Medicine at Midnight“, Not to mention his numerous solo and side projects and collaborations. . As a member of Foo Fighters, Taylor was a 15-time GRAMMY Award winner and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He lived and loved music to an insatiable degree.
Taylor Hawkins was survived by his wife Alison Hawkins and their three children when he passed away at the young age of 50 on March 26th in Bogota, Colombia. The Foo Fighters said in a statement that it was a “tragic and untimely loss.” Taylor’s last performance with the band was on Sunday, March 20th at Lollapalooza Argentina.
Check out Taylor Hawkins’s last performance with the Foos now!