How Did Taylor Hawkins Die? Revisiting the Foo Fighters Drummer's Final Days Three Years Later

Fans of the Foo Fighters were devastated to learn of the untimely death of their longtime drummer, Oliver Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022.

After getting his big break touring with Grammy-winning singer Alanis Morissette, Hawkins joined the band in 1997 to replace former drummer William Goldsmith. He recorded a total of eight studio albums with the Foo Fighters and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 2021. 

Offstage, Hawkins married Alison Hawkins in 2005, and the couple welcomed three children: Oliver, Annabelle and Everleigh. 

Three years ago, the band announced in a statement on X that Hawkins had unexpectedly died before a scheduled performance at a music festival in Colombia.

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the message read. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

An official cause of death still hasn’t been revealed, leading many fans to wonder what happened to the legendary drummer. Here’s everything to know about Taylor Hawkins’ death. 

How did Taylor Hawkins die?

An official cause of death for Hawkins has not been released, even three years later. 

On the day of his death, Hawkins had reportedly complained of chest pains and paramedics were dispatched to his hotel to assist him, per Rolling Stone. But when they arrived, they found the drummer unresponsive and were unable to revive him. 

A toxicology report released in March 2022 by the Attorney General's Office of Colombia found 10 types of substances in the drummer’s system at the time of his death, including THC, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines. 

Forensic doctors also claimed that his heart was double the normal size and could have collapsed without the use of drugs. Hawkins told Rolling Stone the previous year that his heart was “big” because he exercised a lot and that he dealt with stage fright and sleep apnea.

Friends told Rolling Stone in 2022 that they believed the drummer — who survived a heroin overdose in 2001 — wasn’t using hard drugs recreationally at the time of his death. Hawkins told the outlet the prior year that he preferred to perform sober “for good results” even though he got pre-show nerves. 

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform on the night of his death. 

Why is there no official cause of death for Taylor Hawkins?

It’s unclear why the Attorney General's Office of Colombia has never released an official cause of death for Hawkins. However, Rolling Stone alleged in a 2022 article that the musician was struggling with the physical strain of performing a jam-packed tour in the months leading up to his death. 

“He had a heart-to-heart with Dave and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t f---ing do it anymore’ — those were his words,” Pearl Jam drummer and Hawkins’ close friend Matt Cameron told the outlet. “He tried to keep up. He just did whatever it took to keep up, and in the end he couldn’t keep up.”

A rep for the Foo Fighters denied that Hawkins ever raised concerns about the touring schedule or had a conversation with lead singer Dave Grohl about it. After the article was published, Cameron issued a statement claiming that his quotes “were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative” that he didn’t intend, per The Independent. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith also criticized the Rolling Stone piece for allegedly misusing his quotes regarding a December 2021 incident during which Hawkins allegedly lost consciousness while on a flight to Chicago. A Foo Fighters rep denied that the incident ever happened, and Smith called the story “sensationalized and misleading.” 

Where did Taylor Hawkins die?

Hawkins died on March 25, 2022, at the Four Seasons in Bogotá, Colombia. The Foo Fighters had been on tour in South America and were scheduled to perform at the Festival Estéreo Picnic that evening. 

Before news of Hawkins' death broke, event organizers announced that the band had canceled the show and the rest of their tour due to a “very serious medical situation.” The Foo Fighters confirmed the drummer’s death on their social media later that night. 

Rolling Stone reported that paramedics arrived at the hotel at 7:40 p.m. to respond to a guest (later identified as Hawkins) who reported having chest pains. They were unable to revive him and pronounced him dead at the hotel.  

How old was Taylor Hawkins when he died?

Hawkins was 50 years old at the time of his death. The drummer was born in Texas on Feb. 17, 1972, and started playing drums at the age of 10. In one of his final in-person interviews, Hawkins told Rolling Stone that the toll of performing live was starting to wear on him. 

"I’m still a spaz; but I’m trying really hard to figure out how to continue to keep the intensity of a young man in a 50-year-old’s body, which is very difficult,” Hawkins said in 2021. “I’m not whining, I’m really not ... I’m just saying it’s f---ing hard work.” 

What were Taylor Hawkins' last words?

Hawkins’ last words are not known, but a few of his friends have shared their final messages with the famous drummer. Former Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell shared the last voice message the late musician sent Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau, a day before he died. 

“Take care of each other, and I’ll take care of me," Hawkins can be heard saying in a video tribute Perry posted on Instagram in 2022. "And I will see you guys in Sao Paolo [at Lollapalooza Brazil]. I love, love, love, love you guys. Sleep tight.”

John Stamos also shared his final message from the Foo Fighters drummer on X. 

“This was Taylor Hawkins' last text to me: ‘Ya We’ve yet to fully have a hang -Got a put that s--- together before we die’ Wise words from my friend- put that s--- together! I'm so f---ing sad. Another one gone too soon,” the Full House actor wrote. 

What was the public reaction to Taylor Hawkins’ death?

News of Hawkins’ death was met with an outpouring of grief and admiration for the drummer, both from his rock ‘n roll contemporaries and his fans. Two months after his death, over a thousand musicians took over a national stadium in Paris to perform “My Hero” in his honor. 

In September 2022, a six-hour-long tribute concert for the drummer was held in Los Angeles. Over 50 musicians performed, including Morissette, Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, Kesha and Pink, as well as guest drummers like Smith and Travis Barker, according to Vulture. 

Hawkins was also memorialized at the 2022 Grammys. Though none of the Foo Fighters were in attendance, the band took home three awards for best rock performance, best rock album and best rock song.