Did Drugs Kill Foo Fighters Drummer, Taylor Hawkins?
Or can the presence of 10 different drugs be a coincidence?
Taylor Hawkins has died at the age of 50. His body was found in his hotel room in Bogota, Columbia.
His death was heart-breaking news for his Foo Fighter’s bandmates, fans, and of course, his family and friends. Hawkins was in Columbia with the band because of a South American tour. The band was scheduled to perform at the Festival Estereo Picnic in Bogota, Columbia on Friday, March 25th.
On Friday, March 25th, Foo Fighter’s band members issued a brief statement about Hawkins, saying his death was a “tragic and untimely loss.”
Investigators in Columbia reported that drugs were potentially involved in Hawkins’ death. Several different drugs were reportedly found in the drummer’s system at the time of his death.
A statement was released on Saturday March 26th by the Prosecutor’s office in Columbia. The statement revealed that urine tests on Hawkins showed the presence of ten substances and medicines. Some of the substances reported to be in the musician’s system at the time of his death included marijuana, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, cocaine, and benzodiazepines. The statement did not specify that drugs were the cause of death, and indicated that the investigation is ongoing.
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics released updated data towards the end of 2021 about drug-related deaths. The report estimated 100,000 drug overdoses in one month just in the United States. The 2021 figures reflected a 28.5% increase from the previous year. Of the estimated 100,000 deaths from drug overdoses, approximately 75,000 of them were related to Opioid use in particular.
“Opioids are a factor in at least 7 out of every 10 overdose deaths.” — NCDAS
The tragic news of Hawkins’ passing, was not the first time the musician appeared in the headlines for his drug use. In 2001, Hawkins survived a Heroin overdose. The overdose caused the star to be in a coma for a week. The drummer told Kerrang! in 2021, “I’m not here 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.”
The mayor’s office reported that the emergency service center had received a phone call late on Friday about a “patient complaining of chest pains.” The statement shared that a doctor “performed resuscitation maneuvers, but there was no response and the patient was declared deceased.”
“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.” — Foo Fighters official Twitter account
Who was Taylor Hawkins?
Taylor Hawkins was a musician most known for his long-term role as the drummer in the American rock band, Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighters released eight albums with Hawkins from 1991 to 2021.
Prior to working with the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins was the drummer for Alanis Morissette. Hawkins supported Morissette on her Jagged Little Pill tour and appeared in multiple music videos featuring Morissette’s hits.
Hawkins was inducted, with the Foo Fighters, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2021. Hawkins attended the ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio with close friend, and Foo Fighter’s front-man, Dave Grohl.
Hawkins married his wife Alison in 2005. The couple had three children and owned a home in Hidden Hills, California.
“His music will on, but I can tell you, he was a great, great one.” — Elton John
More from Elton John on Taylor Hawkins:
A sincere thank you for reading.
If you like my posts, click here to get an email whenever I publish.
If you are not already a member of Medium, please consider joining here with my referral link. Your $5 monthly fee will go to supporting writers like me and you’ll have the opportunity to get paid for what you write.
More on addiction:
