Taylor Hawkins cause of death news – Foo Fighters drummer initial autopsy results as it’s revealed he had ‘chest pain’
FOO Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins' initial autopsy results have revealed the musician had "ten types of drugs" in his system before he tragically passed away.
Investigators concluded that Taylor had 10 substances in his system when he was found dead in Colombia on Friday.
The Secretariat of Health issued a statement that confirmed the drummer had sparked a medical emergency after suffering “chest pains" leading to his death in a Colombian hotel room.
While the official cause of death has yet to be released, investigators found substances including opioids, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants and THC.
Meanwhile, a joint statement from the band was posted to late on Friday night, stating that the other band members were "devastated" by the "untimely death" of Hawkins, who was 50 years old.
The statement read: "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with 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."
Read our Taylor Hawkins live blog for the latest updates.
Watch Taylor Hawkins’ final concert
Foo Fighters performed at Lollapalooza Argentina before their drummer’s untimely death.
of Hawkins singing a cover of Queen’s “Somebody To Love” at what would come to be his final show.
He passed away before the band could perform their next show in Bogotá, Columbia.
Foo Fighters have always been ‘close’
After the band’s 25 years on the road, Dave Grohl, guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett, bassist Nate Mendel, drummer Taylor Hawkins and key-board player Rami Jaffee remained the best of friends.
In a prior interview, Dave Grohl said: “It has been really weird because we are the band who actually like each other.
“It’s true what you hear. A lot of groups, after months on the road, can’t wait to head off in different directions. But we still want to hang out, whether we’re working or not. It’s a miracle after all these years. We’re still really close.”
Miley Cyrus gives Taylor Hawkins tribute
Miley Cyrus gave an emotional statement in the wake of Hawkins’ death at Lollapalooza Brazil.
The singer said that Taylor was the first person she called after her jet was forced to make an emergency landing after being struck by lightning.
She then dedicated her song “Angels Like You” to the late drummer.
Was Taylor Hawkins a founding member of the Foo Fighters?
The Foo Fighters are an American rock band that was founded by the former Nirvana Drummer, Grohl, following the suicide of Kurt Cobain.
The band was formed in Seattle, Washington back in 1994.
The original members of the band included:
- Grohl
- William Goldsmith
- Pat Smear
- Nate Medel
Goldsmith was later replaced by Taylor Hawkins after deciding to leave the band. Rami Jaffee and Franz Stahl joined later on.
What bands has Taylor been in?
Along with Sylvia and The Foo Fighters, Hawkins started his own side project called Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders.
Hawkins was both the drummer and vocalist for the American rock band.
On March 21, 2006, the band released their debut self-titled album which featured 11 tracks.
The second album, Red Light Fever, was released in 2019 and featured guest artists including Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen.
Their third and final album, Get the Money, was released on October 15, 2019.
'Live fast die young,’ part three
Taylor continued: “I was heading down a road that was going to lead to even worse paths. Whether someone’s sober, or they like a glass of wine with dinner, or they want a bottle of Jägermeister before they go onstage, or they like to smoke doobies all day long, everyone has their own path, and I took it too far.
“I’m glad it got knocked on the head at that point. I wouldn’t take anything away that I’ve done or been through either, because it’s all part of the trip and the journey.
“I’m trying to be as candid as I can be. I go mountain biking now.”
'Live fast die young,’ continued
And last year in an interview with , Taylor said: “I used to do a lot of f***ing drugs. You get the work done.”
He continued while cryptically speaking of “living fast and dying young”: “Everyone has their own path and I took it too far. I was partying in London one night, and I mistakenly did something and it changed everything.
“I believed the bulls*** myth of live hard and fast, die young.
“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.”
‘Live fast die young’
Previously, Taylor spoke openly about his battle with drugs and revealed he once overdosed on heroin in 2001.
He said in 2018: “I was partying a lot. I wasn’t a junkie per se, but I was partying. There was a year where the partying just got a little too heavy.
“Thank God on some level this guy gave me the wrong line with the wrong thing one night and I woke up going, ‘What the f**k happened?’ That was a real changing point for me.”
Taylor remembered for drum talent
Even though Dave Grohl was the drummer for Nirvana, it was Taylor Hawkins who was known as the drummer for the Foo Fighters.
“The thing about Taylor Hawkins is, he wasn’t their first drummer, and he didn’t even play on their best album (Colour and the Shape), but nobody ever thought ‘Foo Fighters drummer’ and didn’t think of him,” writer Alex Navarro .
“Which says a lot for a guy in a band with Dave Grohl. RIP.”
Taylor had ‘traces of 10 different drugs in his body,’ part five
Local reports had already referred to hotel staff at Casa Medina, the luxury hotel Taylor was staying at, calling in emergency response teams after the drummer suffered chest pains.
The Metropolitan Police of Bogota said: “The cause of death has yet to be established."
“According to those close to him, the death could be related to the consumption of drugs.”Taylor had ‘traces of 10 different drugs in his body,’ part four
The statement said that an ambulance had been sent and that a health professional attempted revival techniques to no avail. The patient was pronounced dead.
“The District Secretariat of Health regrets the death of this talented and world-famous drummer and sends a message of condolences to his family, bandmates and fans.”
No drugs were mentioned in the statement, despite the fact police had alluded to Hawkins’ death possibly being drug-related earlier in the day.
Police who entered Hawkins’ hotel room told prosecutors that they saw a “cocaine-like powder” in the room along with a few opened alcoholic beverages, according to Colombian journalist .
Taylor had ‘traces of 10 different drugs in his body,’ part three
The Secretariat of Health had issued an earlier statement confirming the drummer had sparked a medical emergency after suffering “chest pains” leading to his death in a Colombian hotel room at age 50.
It came amid reports in local media that ‘white powder’ had been found in the hotel room of the star – who had spoken previously about his drug addictions.
The Secretariat statement read: “The city’s Emergency Regulation Centre received an alert about a patient with chest pain in a hotel located in the north of the city.”
Taylor had ‘traces of 10 different drugs in his body,’ continued
“Colombia’s National State Prosecution Service can confirm the following after the initial autopsy on the body of Taylor Hawkins:
“1) That in the toxicology test on Taylor Hawkins’ urine 10 types of substances were preliminarily found, including marihuana, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids.
“2) The National Institute of Forensic Medicine is continuing its medical studies to be able to completely clarify the facts that led to Taylor Hawkins death.
“3) Colombia’s National State Prosecution Service will continue with its investigation and reveal the results obtained as part of this investigation as appropriate.”
Taylor had ‘traces of 10 different drugs in his body when he died’
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins had traces of 10 different drugs in his body when he died on Friday, Colombian officials have confirmed.
The country’s state prosecution service released a statement following an initial autopsy.
Who was Taylor Hawkins?
Born Oliver Taylor Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas in 1972; Hawkins was raised in Laguna Beach, California.
He played for the small band Sylvia before landing his first major job as a drummer for Canadian singer Sass Jordan.
In the mid-90s, he was the drummer on Alanis Morrissette’s tour before Dave Grohl asked him to join The Foo Fighters.
The band was formed in 1994 as a one-man project by lead singer Grohl before he sought out other members.
Rockstar tributes, continued
Billy Idol shared a picture of Taylor, and wrote with a broken heart: “So tragic. Rest in peace Taylor.”
Rage Against The Machine rocker Tom Morello posted a with his friend and wrote: “God bless you Taylor Hawkins.
“I loved your spirit and your unstoppable rock power. Rest In Peace my friend.”
Rockstar tributes
Fellow rock legends have been mourning on social media platforms.
Ozzy Osbourne tweeted: “@TaylorHawkins was truly a great person and an amazing musician.
“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.”
Taylor was a huge Queen fan
Taylor Hawkins became a drummer after seeing Roger Taylor perform with Queen, .
"Queen were my first concert and every concert since has been a bit of a letdown," Hawkins said when he inducted the band into the the .
"As a live band, Queen kind of kicked everybody else's a**."
What did the Foo Fighters say?
Foo Fighters released a statement late Friday night confirming the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The Twitter post read: “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.”
The statement continued: “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.”
Billie Eilish remembers Taylor at Oscars
ET of Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas commenting on Taylor Hawkins' passing at the Oscars.
"What a legendary performer," Finneas said. "We were fans and inspired by him a long time before we got to know him."
"It felt like we lost a friend," Billie said.
Where did Taylor die?
Taylor was reportedly found dead in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia.
The Foo Fighters were set to play the Festival Estéreo Picnic in Bogota, but canceled the performance.
Final fan meeting cont.
The fan's father also posted a on Twitter of Hawkins posing with his daughter while the crowd cheered them on.
"Today we took her drums to play in front of the Sheraton and look who came out at her call. Dreams come true," he wrote in the post.
This came just hours before Hawkins unfortunately passed away, and the father later that they were wrestling with how to deliver the news to their superfan daughter.
Final fan meeting
Hawkins met a nine-year-old fan just 48 hours before his death when she played drums outside his hotel.
The young girl named Emma Sofía Peralta apparently started a "campaign" to meet her idol Hawkins while he stayed at a hotel in Paraguay.
The girl's father, named on Twitter as Julius, posted a of Emma and her hero smiling together outside of the hotel on Tuesday after he says that Taylor came out after the girl's playing caught his attention.
Lenny Kravitz tribute
Musician and actor Lenny Kravitz tweeted an emotional tribute to Taylor Hawkins.
"A rock and roll brother has gone home too soon," Kravitz said.
"Taylor played from the heart with power and joy."
Watch Taylor Hawkins' final concert
Foo Fighters performed at Lollapalooza Argentina before their drummer's untimely death.
of Hawkins singing a cover of Queen's "Somebody To Love" at what would come to be his final show.
He passed away before the band could perform their next show in Bogota, Columbia.