Summary

The article reflects on the emotional impact of Taylor Hawkins' sudden passing, emphasizing the profound connection between musicians and their fans, and the role of music as a life soundtrack.

Abstract

The unexpected death of Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters' drummer, has sent shockwaves through the music community and fans alike. The author shares a personal account of the moment they learned of Hawkins' death, detailing the immediate sense of loss and the subsequent search for solace through social media and shared grief within the fan community. The piece underscores the significance of music in personal lives, serving as a companion through life's ups and downs. It also addresses the spread of unfounded rumors surrounding Hawkins' death and the importance of cherishing loved ones, echoing the sentiment to live in the moment and appreciate the music that binds us.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep personal connection to music, crediting it with life-saving interventions during challenging times.
There is a clear disdain for the spread of baseless conspiracy theories on social media platforms like Twitter in the wake of Hawkins' death.
The article conveys a sense of collective mourning among fans, emphasizing that fans are an integral part of the 'family' surrounding a band.
It suggests that the loss of a musician like Hawkins is felt deeply by fans, despite most never having met him personally.
The author encourages readers to embrace the philosophy of living fully and expressing love and gratitude, inspired by the legacies of musicians like George Michael, Prince, David Bowie, and Chris Cornell.
The piece advocates for the healing power of music and the importance of community in times of grief, while also highlighting the individual's journey through sorrow and remembrance.

MUSIC

Taylor Hawkins

Why This Hurts

Music is the soundtrack of our lives.

As soon as I read the headline I froze. Stella was already on the bed wagging her tail and looking at me with her big ears, head tilted to one side and feeling the energy of the room shift suddenly. I caught my breath and spoke aloud: what the fuck? I looked at Stella for answers, then turned my attention to my phone.

Lying in bed, my index finger began scrolling feverishly on Twitter in search of anyone telling me it wasn’t true. I managed to screenshot the news and text a couple of friends I knew would share my pain, still in disbelief. Upon confirmation from them and reading more tweets, I knew it was true. Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters (and so much more) — at the age of 50 — was dead.

I began reading comments on the app, learning more about Taylor the human being, as most of us knew him only as one of the best drummers on the planet, and not much else. My crash course of personal knowledge became the ingredient to the full scope of who I began to learn Taylor to be — who was — man, this is harder than I thought.

Of course, I didn’t know Taylor personally or anyone in his circle. So who was I, other than another fan in shock that someone so young who provided stellar music was suddenly gone?

If musicians are the heart of a band then we fans are its blood flow. We amalgamate with one another sharing a commonality that keeps each of us alive. Musicians can’t live without performing and for their fans — without them playing — living without melodies and lyrics (which often sound like they were crafted only for us) to help us through life is unthinkable.

Without getting into the minutiae of my past choices from a lifetime ago when I was a stripper (when cocaine and ecstasy were my best friends), I’ll just say this: music saved my life in more ways than one. It held my hand in sorrow and tucked me in at night when I needed to escape. It allowed me to free-fall into my dreams and stayed by my side with every misstep and evolution throughout my life. It’s kept me company through writing and lifted my spirits when I felt like quitting. I am not alone. Music is the soundtrack to all of our lives. It weaves its way throughout our stories and gives purpose to the melodies we choose.

Staying true to its toxicity, Twitter wasted no time showcasing people tossing out unfounded theories: Taylor overdosed, had a heart attack, and the vilest conspiracy theory — the COVID vaccination killed him. When I read that tweet I tossed my phone on the pillow, choosing to remove myself from such ignorance and hate.

But I was restless.

Still in shock and wanting more answers I opened my laptop. Wanting to share my grief with people who actually knew Taylor, I began searching for fellow musicians’ sentiments about his passing. Not to align with their experiences, but to wrap my proverbial arms around a community I’ll never know personally but am forever grateful for.

As most of us are doing, I’m hurting for Dave Grohl and cannot help but think about all those years ago when he suffered the loss of another band member and friend, Kurt Cobain from Nirvana. Then of course there are the other bandmates, Taylor’s wife and kids — and so many loved ones who must be suffocating on the weight of their grief. As fans, we feel helpless and don’t know how to process this news. Most of us don’t know Taylor so why does the passing of celebrity musicians affect us?

Because fans are family too. We follow our favorites from when they were barely out of high school (some of them got their start still being in school, like Dave Grohl). We catch every interview and record television performances to re-watch again and again. And if we’re really lucky, we get to see them perform live, feeling the incomparable energy that weaves through the stage to the crowd and back again.

I can’t imagine the agony of losing Taylor Hawkins in the way people who knew him must be feeling. As a fan, I empathize and feel my own type of sorrow, wanting to share how special he was. Is. Will always be.

Let this be a shocking but valuable reminder that tomorrow is promised to no one.

If you think of someone you love, reach out to them. Share with your words and actions often. If the little things are holding one of your relationships with a loved one back, let those things go and appreciate what truly matters.

If there’s one thing that losing George Michael, Prince, David Bowie, and Chris Cornell has taught me recently, it’s to live in the moment; share the love and gratitude you feel—follow the Foo Fighter’s lead. Don’t take yourself too seriously, turn up the music and for fuck’s sake, get up and DANCE.