Slash, Elton John, Wolfgang Van Halen Sing for Taylor Hawkins
Tributes to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins continued to be paid following his death in Colombia on Friday night.
The 50-year-old was mentioned last night during performances by Slash, Elton John, Mammoth WVH and Liam Gallagher, among others, while Stevie Nicks wrote a poem about her late friend.
Speaking to his solo band audience at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Fla., Slash said: “I'm sure most of you are aware that we lost a really close friend of ours last night, Taylor Hawkins. First of all, he was a great fucking guy – a fucking sweetheart. He was a really good friend and a kick-ass drummer.” He added that he and his colleagues were “completely crushed that we've lost him,” continuing: “So we wanna do a song tonight and dedicate it to him, so we're gonna play something we haven't played actually on this whole tour, but we're gonna do it tonight. This is called ‘Starlight’.”
Watch Slash Perform ‘Starlight’ for Taylor Hawkins
In Des Moines, Iowa, John dedicated his classic track “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” to Hawkins, saying: “I was so shocked because he played on my Lockdown Sessions album, and he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet and one of the greatest drummers — a true musician who loved all sorts of music and loved life.”
He went on: “And it seems so sad that, at 50 years of age, we've lost someone who had that much passion. And it makes me so downhearted for his family — his three children and his wife and his other relatives — and, of course, the Foo Fighters, who've lost a dearest loved one that can never, ever be replaced.” Describing Hawkins as “great, great” person, he predicted that "his music will live on.”
Watch Elton John Perform 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me'
Wolfgang Van Halen paid tribute to Hawkins during Mammoth WVH's Saturday night show in Boston. "He was a hero to me, and a hero to all of us, and a hero to countless people, so we feel this is necessary." The band then launched into a powerful cover of Foo Fighters' 1998 hit "My Hero," which he explained they had learned earlier in the day. After repeatedly pointing his guitar towards the sky, Van Halen ended the performance by saying, "Rest in peace, Taylor. We love you."
Watch Mammoth WVH Perform 'My Hero'
During the Teenage Cancer Trust charity show at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Gallagher displayed Hawkins’ name on his band’s drum kit before closing his set with a performance of Oasis classic “Live Forever.” He told the audience: “I dedicate this last song to the one and only Taylor fucking Hawkins. [...] This is for you, brother.” A picture of Hawkins was projected over the stage throughout the song.
Watch Liam Gallagher’s Dedication to Taylor Hawkins
Nicks wrote her tribute in a social media post, saying she was grateful that the Foo Fighters kept a photo booth in their studio because it meant she had permanent mementos of her friendship with Hawkins. “He always came to my shows,” she said. “He and his best friend Dave even let me be a Foo Fighter for a little while. We recorded a kick ass version of ‘Gold Dust Woman’ [...] Taylor was very handsome and he was very cute. Sometimes that combination is way better than ‘beautiful.’ I think it’s everything. He had a huge heart and a glorious smile. When he walked into the room, everyone looked up. When he left the room, everyone was sad.”