We all accept death as the end of the life cycle because we are forced to. When it happens to someone we feel is too young, too talented and too good, it hits a lot harder. This is a blog about remembering the life of a person that checks all of those boxes and not concerning ourselves with anything else.
Oliver Taylor Hawkins was born on February 17th, 1972 in Fort Worth, Texas and grew up in Laguna Beach, California. He married his wife, Alison in 2005 and they had 3 children together: Oliver, Annabelle, and Everleigh. He has two siblings, a brother, Jason and his sister Heather.
He was 10-years-old when he got his first drum kit. He played for an Orange County band called Sylvia that later became Anyone before getting the gig that would land him his first real paycheck as a musician, drumming for Blues Rocker Sass Jordan. In 1995, he got a spot drumming for Alanis Morissette that would last two tours and see him appear in her most famous music videos.
Then came Foo Fighters. The band announced Hawkins would be their new drummer on March 18, 1997 after Dave Grohl originally just reached out to his friend for recommendations on who would fit his band best. Hakwins volunteered himself and the rest is well documented through album and tours that made the group legendary.
In 2006, he put out his first solo album with Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders who would release 3 albums in total. The Birds of Satan were a Progressive Hard Rock act founded by Hawkins in 2014 That included members of his cover band Chevy Metal. In between all of that, Hawkins found time to record and tour with Coheed & Cambria, Eagles of Death Metal and work with artists including The Beach Boys, Queen, Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, Nancy Wilson, Joe Walsh, Chrissie Hynde, LeAnn Rimes, Elton John and many others.
In 2021, Hawkins and Jane’s Addiction members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney formed a supergroup called NHC who released 4 tracks in 2021 and recorded an album that was set to drop sometime this year.
He also played Iggy Pop in the Biographical Drama CBGB and most recently, along with the other members of Foo Fighters, starred in their movie Studio 666.
People from all areas of the music community have chimed in with very kind words and sadness over the loss of a man that was considered a genuinely nice guy and one of the greatest Drummers ever.
Tributes have come from all over the musical world as well.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to anyone mourning the loss of Taylor Hawkins. Remember the legacy he left forever and always.
