A sentimental fashion statement. Billie EilishDuring her Grammy Awards performance, Taylor Hawkins, a Foo Fighters member, was honored.
The Los Angeles native, 20, sang “Happier Than Ever” at the Sunday, April 3, awards show while wearing black pants and a matching tee. The shirt featured a photo from the drummer and his last initial in capital letters.
Billie Eilish & Taylor Hawkins Shutterstock (2)
While attending the Academy Awards last week, the “Ocean Eyes” singer told Access Hollywood that Hawkins’ death was “incredibly heartbreaking.” The Golden Globe winner added, “It was right before we went on stage [in Seattle, Washington]. We received the news, which really, really tore all of us apart. It’s horribly, horribly tragic.”
Her brother Finneas, chimed in, “Taylor was such a legendary player. Before we met him, we were admirers of his work for years. And we only met him a handful of times… I wish we got to spend more time with him, but he couldn’t have been a kinder, cooler, more generous person as well. And such an inspiring person. We’re just heartbroken.”
The California native died at 50, a week prior to the Grammys. Hawkins was found dead in his Bogota hotel room on March 25, after emergency services were requested. A preliminary toxicology analysis revealed that Hawkins was ingesting marijuana, tricyclic and antidepressants as well as benzodiazepines, benzodiazepines, and opioids at the time.
Hawkins is survived by his three children — Oliver, Annabelle, and Everleigh — and wife Alison Hawkins.
The name of the late Taylor Hawkins appears on the shirt of Billie Eilish, right, as she and FINNEAS perform “Happier Than Ever” at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock
Taylor was a proud “suburban dad,” he gushed to BillboardNovember 2019, with his girls. “I can’t write about being young and going to clubs, and I’m not very political,” the musician said at the time. “It’s all sort of tongue-in-cheek though.”
The 64th Annual Grammys was supposed to host the Foo Fighters, but the band cancelled their appearance and their tour. They did however win three awards on Sunday: Best Rock Performance (Best Rock Song), and Best Rock Album (Best Rock Album).
The surviving members called Hawkins’ death a “staggering loss” in a Tuesday, March 29, statement.
“We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned,” Dave Grohol, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Rami JaffeeAnd Franz Stahl wrote. “Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to her, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together.”
