Foo Fighters promise to carry on after Taylor Hawkins’ death

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The Foo Fighters are promising to continue making music and touring after the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year.

The band penned a message to fans on New Year’s Eve in which they reflected on enduring a “tragic year.”

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“As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us,” they wrote on social media.

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“Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life, and for the past 27 years, our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join a chorus of life together through music.”

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The message continues adding that without Hawkins the Foos “never would have become the band that we were,” before adding that “without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward.”

It concludes by promising that the band will be back playing in front of fans in the near future.

“We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”

Hawkins, 50, was found dead in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia, last March, with the band just hours away from playing a concert in the city.

“The toxicology test on urine from Taylor Hawkins’ body preliminarily found 10 types of substances, including: THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids,” the Attorney General’s Office of Colombia shared on its Twitter account, per CNN.

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According to the Daily Mail, citing Colombian news magazine Semana, Hawkins suffered a “cardiovascular collapse” after binging on a cocktail of drugs, including heroin. His heart was also said to have weighed double that of another man in his age range.

Hawkins, who played with Sass Jordan early in his career and was the touring drummer during Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill era, joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 during the recording of The Colour and the Shape after the departure of William Goldsmith. He also fronted his own side project, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, formed The Birds of Satan and contributed to the Eagles of Death Metal. Most recently he fronted NHC with Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction.

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In an interview with the Sun last February, founder member and vocalist Dave Grohl reflected on the longevity of the band, saying that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers were a success because they shared an unbreakable bond.

“In the Foo Fighters’ world, you don’t have to do anything. If you don’t want to do it, don’t f***ing do it. If you’re not into it, f***ing just say the word. That’s why we’ve lasted so long,” Grohl said.

“Also, we genuinely love each other. There is bottom line no question about that. We run not so much like a gang, but like a f***ing family. It really is that way.”

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