Taylor Hawkins and Chad Smith.Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty
TheRed Hot Chili Pepperspaid tribute to lateFoo FightersdrummerTaylor Hawkinson Sunday, with his wife Alison andbandmate Dave Grohllooking on.
The Chili Peppers stepped in to play the Foo Fighters' closing set at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and took the opportunity to remember their friend and peer Hawkins, whodied at age 50on March 25.
“We love the Foo Fighters and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins,” drummer Chad Smith said at the end of the set, according toNOLA.com. “It’s meant a lot for us to be able to play for them.”
Smith, 60, played with a drumkit that featured Taylor’s name inside a hawk silhouette, and also reportedly led the crowd in a cheer of, “We love you, Taylor!”
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Hawkins' widow Alison were present for the performance, and watched from the wings, according to NOLA.com.
Chad Smith.Erika Goldring/Getty
Smith previously toldBillboardthat Alison was a big part of the performance planning process, and that the Red Hot Chili Peppers took her advice in making the set a “celebration” in Hawkins' honor.
“We’re taking Alison, his wife, with us and it’s going to be a celebration. That’s what she wants. She doesn’t want it to be anything other than, ‘Let’s celebrate music, let’s celebrate our friends, let’s celebrate Taylor,” Smith said. “This is what he would want and he would be very happy that you guys are playing and he would want it [to] be nothing but a positive experience.’ So we’re going to do all that and she’s going to be part of that and I’m very honored that we can do that with her. … We’re going to play our hearts out.”
The drummer and Hawkins had been friends for many years, and in the days after his death, Smith shared a compilation video to Instagram that showcased his close bond with the man he referred to as his “brother.”
“His essence of his creative energy is out in another universe somewhere and he was able to express that here in his short life. Wherever he is, I feel strongly and believe that he is doing his Taylor Hawkins as only he can,” Smith toldBillboard. “He’s doing that somewhere else and giving that love and life to everybody wherever he is now that he did here. So that gives me a little bit of comfort, but I miss the f— out of him.”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who released their 12th studio albumUnlimited Lovein April, were recruited to play Jazz Fest after the Foo Fighterscanceled all scheduled performancesin light of Hawkins' death.
“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins,” the band said in a statement. “We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned.”
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The “Everlong” rockers — Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel and Rami Jaffee — said that instead of touring, they’d be using the time to mourn their loss and lean on their families.
Hawkins died shortly before a scheduled music festival performance in Bogotá, Colombia after complaining of chest pains in his hotel. An investigation into his cause of death is ongoing.
source: people.com
