Foo Fighters cancel all upcoming tour dates following Taylor Hawkins' death

Foo Fighters have canceled all upcoming tour dates following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Issuing a statement to media outlets and social media yesterday, the band wrote: “It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancelation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins.

“We're sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won't be seeing one another as planned. Instead, let's take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we've made together. With love, Foo Fighters.”

Taylor Hawkins passed away last weekend at the age of 50 in Bogotá, Colombia, ahead of their scheduled performance at Festival Estéreo Picnic on Friday night (March 25).

Subsequent toxicology reports by Colombian officials showed traces of 10 different substances in Hawkins' body at the time of his death, including opioids, marijuana and anti-depressants.

A statement by the Colombian Attorney General's Office says that the National Institute of Forensic Medicine “continues to conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death”, adding that it will “duly inform the findings of forensic examinations in due time”.

Foo Fighters were scheduled to begin a North America tour in May, but this has now been canceled. 

The band were also scheduled to perform at the 2022 Grammy Awards on April 4. While there has been no update from The Recording Academy on the status of the performance – though it has paid tribute to Hawkins directly, calling him the “heart of [Foo Fighters'] propulsion system” – the cancelation of all upcoming shows more than likely means the band won't perform at the ceremony.

Following tenures as touring drummer for Sass Jordan and Alanis Morissette, Hawkins joined Foo Fighters' lineup in 1997, shortly after the band recorded their sophomore album, The Colour and the Shape. He remained a member of the Dave Grohl-led outfit until his death, appearing on every one of the band's albums since.

Upon the news of his passing, the band wrote in tribute: “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.”

Hawkins' death has prompted widespread tributes from the music community. Last weekend, Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH honored the drummer by performing a cover of Foo Fighters' My Hero during a show.

Tom Morello, Brian May, John Mayer and Ozzy Osbourne have also penned tributes, with Mayer calling Hawkins “a brilliant musician, sweetheart, and an inspiration to millions of people – many of whom took up drumming because of him”.

Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash dedicated a live rendition of his song Starlight to Hawkins during a recent performance with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. “He was a great fucking guy. A fucking sweetheart,” he told the Orlando crowd. “He was a really good friend and a kickass drummer.”