Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dies, aged 50

Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of American rock band Foo Fighters, has died aged 50, the band announced late on Friday.

The band did not give a cause of death.

Variety reported that the band had been preparing to perform in the Colombian capital Bogota on Friday at the time of his death.

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the band said in a tweet. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.”

Tributes poured in.

Hawkins “was truly a great person and an amazing musician. My heart, my love and my condolences go out to his wife, his children, his family, his band and his fans,” British rocker Ozzy Osbourne tweeted. “See you on the other side.”

Canadian rockers Nickelback said they were in “utter disbelief at the news of Taylor Hawkins.” They added that it was “so incredibly sad.”

Foo Fighters was founded in 1994 by Dave Grohl, the drummer for grunge band Nirvana, following the death of Nirvana’s lead singer Kurt Cobain.

The band, which includes bassist Nate Mendel and guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, has released 10 studio albums led by singles such as “Everlong,” “Times Like These” and “Learn To Fly.”

The group has won 12 Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

“God bless you Taylor Hawkins. I loved your spirit and your unstoppable rock power. Rest In Peace my friend,” tweeted Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine, as he shared a picture with Hawkins and Perry Farrell from Jane’s Addiction, another rock band.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, members of rock group KISS, also mourned Hawkins’s death, along with Guns N’ Roses, Slash and various other musicians.

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru Editing by Edmund Klamann and Frances Kerry)