Taylor Hawkins: Foo Fighters' drummer, decoded
Taylor Hawkins drummed in Foo Fighters from 1997 through his 2022 death. Gretsch kit, Zildjian cymbals and signature drumstick. Defining modern-rock drumming + the band's vocalist on multiple Foo Fighters songs.
Foo Fighters · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Taylor Hawkins (born Oliver Taylor Hawkins, February 17, 1972, Fort Worth, Texas; died March 25, 2022, age 50) drummed in Foo Fighters from 1997 through his 2022 death. Gretsch kit, Zildjian cymbals, Zildjian Taylor Hawkins Artist Series signature drumstick. Originally Alanis Morissette's drummer (1995-1997, on the Jagged Little Pill tour), Hawkins joined Foo Fighters in 1997 and stayed across the band's commercial peak. Sang lead on multiple Foo Fighters songs (notably 'Cold Day in the Sun' from In Your Honor, 2005). Died March 25, 2022 at age 50 during a Foo Fighters tour stop in Bogotá, Colombia.
Who Taylor Hawkins was
Oliver Taylor Hawkins, born February 17, 1972, in Fort Worth, Texas, drummed in Foo Fighters from 1997 through his March 25, 2022 death at age 50. Across the band's commercial peak (There Is Nothing Left to Lose, 1999, through Medicine at Midnight, 2021), his pocket + multi-vocal contributions defined the modern-rock drumming sound.
Before Foo Fighters he was Alanis Morissette's touring drummer (1995-1997, on the Jagged Little Pill tour), and joined Foo Fighters in 1997 after Dave Grohl's offer. He led Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders (2004-2019) as drummer + lead vocalist, releasing three studio records.
He died March 25, 2022, age 50, at Hotel Casa Medina in Bogotá, Colombia, during a Foo Fighters tour. The Colombian Attorney General's Office reported preliminary findings of cardiac causes with multiple substances in his system. Foo Fighters cancelled the rest of the 2022 tour; Josh Freese has been the band's touring drummer since 2023.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Foo Fighters (2021).
Style signatures
Three things across the Foo Fighters catalog you can identify as Taylor's:
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Hard-hitting backbeat matching Dave Grohl's aesthetic. Hawkins drummed hard, with high-velocity backbeats that complemented the band's loud production approach.
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Fill technique with classic-rock + Queen-era inheritance. Roger Taylor (Queen) was a documented Hawkins influence; the fill construction draws on 70s rock vocabulary.
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Drumming + lead vocals on multiple songs. 'Cold Day in the Sun' (In Your Honor, 2005) and 'Sunday Rain' (Concrete and Gold, 2017) showcase his ability to drum and sing lead simultaneously.
Documented gear
- Zildjian Taylor Hawkins Artist Series drumstick (ZASTH). Hickory, short taper, large round tip, built with Hawkins as part of Zildjian's Artist Series line. Full review at /gear/zildjian-taylor-hawkins-signature.
- Zildjian cymbals. Brand-level documented across his Foo Fighters career; no dedicated CYS gear page yet for a specific model.
- Gretsch drum kits. Brand-level documented; no dedicated CYS gear page yet for a specific kit configuration.
Related
The catalog. Foo Fighters, There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999) through Medicine at Midnight (2021). Plus Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders catalog (2006-2019).
Bandmate. Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters founder + frontman; was Hawkins's drum-side partner across the band's catalog).
Documented gear. Zildjian Taylor Hawkins Artist Series drumstick (SKU ZASTH).
Drummer hub. Drummers index.