Taylor Hawkins’ family have promised to honour his legacy and music at Foo Fighters’ upcoming tribute shows.
The late ‘My Hero’ drummer tragically died aged 50 in March and his bandmates – Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee – will play two shows in his memory in September when they take over London’s Wembley Stadum and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
In a statement, his widow Alison said: “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.”
She added that Taylor was “honoured” to be part of the band and loved “his dream role” over the 25 years he spent playing with them.
She continued: “We consider every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.
“Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will 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.’
The tribute concerts have been organised by Taylor’s family together with his bandmates, and the group revealed they would be teaming up with artists who inspired and were inspired by the late musician, “playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life”.
Full details of the line-up will be announced at a later date.