Alanis Morissette, Taylor Hawkins, Miley Cyrus.Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU/Getty; Robert Knight Archive/Redferns; Amy Sussman/WireImage
Taylor Hawkins' family, bandmates and longtime collaborators, includingAlanis Morissette,Miley Cyrusand Queen’sBrian May, have joined forces for apair of concerts that will pay tributeto the lateFoo Fightersdrummer.
“For our dear friend, our badass bandmate, our beloved brother…Foo Fighters and The Hawkins family bring you the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts,” the Foo Fighterswrote on TwitterWednesday.
The full Los Angeles lineup includes Cyrus, Morissette, May and Queen bandmate Roger Taylor,Mark Ronson,Joan Jett, Queens of the Stone Age’sJosh Hommeand Jon Theodore, Stewart Copeland of The Police,Gene Simmonsof Kiss,Mötley Crüe’sNikki Sixx,Chad Smithof theRed Hot Chili Peppers, Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction, Omar Hakim, Luke Spiller of The Struts, Rufus Taylor,Wolfgang Van Halen, Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk, Pat Wilson of Weezer and Chevy Metal, Hawkins' cover band.
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Nearly all of the artists are longtime friends and/or collaborators of Hawkins, who died on March 25 at age 50, and more will be announced later.
“Taylor has been the best publicist for Queen ever. He’s been so good for our image because he kind of regarded us as cool, whereas a lot of people at that time didn’t,” Maysaid in April. “[He] was like family to us, he really was.”
Gallagher, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude at appearing on the bill on Twitter.
“It’s an absolute honour to be invited to kick out the jams for Taylor Hawkins won’t let you down brother LG x,” hewrote.
Hawkins has called the former Oasis frontman “my mate. He’s my bro. I love him.”
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The performances will include songs that Hawkins loved, as well as songs he made with the Foo Fighters, and both concerts will benefit charities to be announced later.
In her first public words since his death, she thanked his many supporters and fans “for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor.”
“Your kindness has been an invaluable comfort to my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief,” she wrote.
Alison, who married the rocker in 2005 and with whom she has three children, continued with a heartfelt message to fans that explained to them their role in Hawkins' career and how they inspired him to be better.
“As Taylor’s wife, and on behalf of our children, I want to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to ‘knocking your socks off’ during every performance,” she wrote. “Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We considered every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.”
Alison concluded her message “with gratitude,” and said the weight would now fall upon his loved ones to keep his spirit alive.
“In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us,” she wrote. “Thank you all again for your love and sympathy. Taylor loved all of you & we love you too.”
Hawkins died in Bogotá, Colombia shortly before a scheduled music festival performance after complaining of chest pains in his hotel. An investigation into his cause of death is ongoing.
source: people.com
