The Truth About Dave Grohl's Relationship With Taylor Hawkins

Aside from being one of the biggest rock bands in the world, the Foo Fighters share an undeniable bond. Led by music legend Dave Grohl, the group consists of drummer Taylor Hawkins, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, and keyboardist Rami Jaffee. Having been together for over 25 years, its six members have become more like a family than a band.

And that's why the recent loss of Hawkins is even more devastating. As fans share their memories of the drummer on social media, many have highlighted the friendship he and Grohl shared throughout their time together. Having met backstage at festivals while Hawkins was Alanis Morissette's tour drummer, per Rolling Stone, Grohl has said that the two instantly fell in love with each other. "The first time we had a beer together, we're like, 'we're gonna be best friends for the rest of our lives,'" he told Radio X (via YouTube). "And it's true, we still are."

Referring to Taylor Hawkins as his "best friend and partner in crime," Dave Grohl wrote about the time they first met and how their chemistry was so off the charts that Alanis Morissette doubted Hawkins would be her drummer for much longer. "We would bump into each other backstage at festivals all over the world, and our chemistry was so obvious that even Alanis herself once asked him, 'What are you going to do when Dave asks you to be his drummer?,'" he wrote (via Rolling Stone). "Part Beavis and Butthead, part Dumb and Dumber, we were a hyperactive blur of Parliament Lights and air drumming wherever we went."

Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997, following a pretty tumultuous recording of their second album The Colour and the Shape, per Louder. He truly became a Foo Fighter after recording their 1999 record There Is Nothing Left To Lose, and would continue to dominate the drums until his death in 2022. "Our musical relationship, the foundation of that is our friendship," Grohl said during an appearance on 95.5 KLOS (via Ultimate Guitar). "And that's why when we jump on stage and play we're so connected because we're like best friends, and it's great."

Taylor Hawkins described Dave Grohl as his "brother" on many occasions, telling Louder Sound that despite all their "trials and tribulations" the two had an unbreakable connection. "When we walk out onstage, every time we nod and look at each other and go, 'Alright, here we go.' We're getting in the ring together," he said.

One such tribulation happened in 2001, when Hawkins overdosed in London. "I've seen so many people just lose it all with drugs and die," Grohl told the Guardian. "So I freaked out." Thankfully, Hawkins survived. He was put into a coma for two weeks, and Grohl remained by his bedside. Having already experienced the loss of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, the prospect of losing Hawkins nearly made Grohl quit music altogether. 

Speaking to Kerrang!, Hawkins opened up about the experience and how he thought it was the end of the band. "I was partying in London one night, and I mistakenly did something and it changed everything," he said. "I believed the bull**** myth of live hard and fast, die young. I'm not hear to preach about not doing drugs, because I loved doing drugs, but I just got out of control for a while and it almost got me."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

For Taylor Hawkins, he felt as though this experience was the end of the Foo Fighters for sure. "We tried to make One by One and it really looked like the end," he explained to Matt Wilkinson on Beats 1 (via Radio X). The band stopped touring as a result, and the recording sessions for the record "didn't feel right" according to Grohl.

As a result, the band took a break for a spell. "It just made sense," Grohl told Billboard (via Loudwire). "We've never taken a substantial break." He went on to add that it made sense to take some time apart after spending "seven or eight" years together non-stop. "To step back and look at the big picture, especially when you're lost in the process of making a new album that seems like it's going nowhere."

Grohl went off to play with Queens of the Stone Age during this time, which left the rest of the band feeling as though it was done for sure. But as Grohl told bassist Nate Mendel, "the Foo Fighters are like my family," adding that "I mean, f***, I've got [our logo] tattooed on the back of my neck. I never want it to end."