Drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away on March 25 at the age of just 50. He was on tour with his band in South America at the time of the announcement and was scheduled to perform at the Estereo Picnic Festival in Bogotá, Colombia, that night just before his unfortunate demise. He was best known as the drummer for the American rock band Foo Fighters.  He was voted "Best Rock Drummer" in 2005 by the British drumming magazine Rhythm.

The cause of death is currently undisclosed but the band stepped forward and issued a statement on Friday (March 25) evening through its publicity company, Nasty Little Man. They stated, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”

Born in Dallas, Texas on February 17, 1972, Taylor Hawkins played in an experimental band called Sylvia before playing drums for Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ and ‘Can’t Not’ tours. Hawkins officially joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after replacing their original drummer William Goldsmith. After David Grohl, the lead guitarist of the band, Hawkins was the most recognizable member of the group. He appeared alongside the lead singer in interviews and playing prominent, usually comic, roles in the band’s memorable videos 

Hawkins said that his drumming was heavily influenced by classic rock drummers. His main influences were Phil Collins of Genesis, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Roger Taylor of Queen, Ringo Starr of the Beatles, Jim Gordon of Derek and the Dominos, and Neil Peart of Rush.