Fearne Cotton and Laura Whitmore lead UK tributes to Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins as he dies aged 50

FEARNE Cotton and Laura Whitmore have paid tribute to Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins following his death.

The band announced the drummer had passed away on Friday at the age of 50, while they were in South America and said they were "devastated by the untimely loss".

Former radio DJ Fearne expressed her upset as a huge fan of the band and having met Taylor on a number of occasions.

She wrote: “How can this be possible? The most talented, charismatic, brilliant musician gone. Devastating.

“Love and prayers to Taylors family and the rest of the band.

“Like many of you reading this I’m a huge Foo’s fan. Their music is threaded through my life marking moments of joy, heart ache and exhilaration.

“I have been lucky enough to see Taylor drum live on numerous occasions. You would always find your eyes lingering on the back of the stage. A whirl wind of energy and passion, teeth clashing together with each strike of a drum skin, hair spinning in time with the music. He created magic every time he stepped on to a stage.

“I was also extremely fortunate to interview him on many occasions and found him unbelievably friendly, grounded and as imagined, utterly hilarious.”

She added: “He will be remembered and revered as one of the greatest drummers in rock history. “Thank you for the music Taylor. Thank you for making so much raucous noise.”

Laura Whitmore also told fans of her upset as she shared a picture of herself with the drummer.

She wrote: “Taylor Hawkins. What a talent, incredible musician and good guy. Such a terrible loss💔.”

Ozzy Osbourne praised Taylor Hawkins as a "great person and an amazing musician," and promised to "see him on the other side."

"@TaylorHawkins was truly a great person and an amazing musician," Osbourne wrote on Twitter.

"My heart, my love and my condolences go out to his wife, his children, his family, his band and his fans.

"See you on the other side - Ozzy."

Heartbroken bandmates

Taylor played in the Foos with former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl on vocal for more than two decades, alongside Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee.

"The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," Foo Fighters official account tweeted.

"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."

No further details about Hawkins' death were provided, although local media outlets reported that Hawkins had been suffering from chest pain and an ambulance had been called.

On tour

At the time of his death, Foo Fighters were on tour in South America. The band had played in San Isidro, Argentina, last Sunday and were due to perform in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday night - the day his death was announced.

The band were scheduled to perform at the Grammys on April 3 and were due to begin a new tour of North America in May.

Amazing career

Taylor joined Foo Fighters in 1997 following the departure of the band's previous drummer William Goldsmith.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with them in 2021 by Sir Paul McCartney.

Following the release of their most recent album, Medicine At Midnight, the band filmed a spoof-horror film titled Studio 666, in which Hawkins starred alongside his bandmates.

Prior to joining Foo Fighters he had played drums for Alanis Morissette.

Taylor was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972 and raised in Laguna Beach, California.

He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.