Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sammy Hagar Honor Taylor Hawkins During Festival Sets

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sammy Hagar had daunting tasks over the weekend: Filling in for the Foo Fighters at two festivals after the band pulled out of their performances following the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The Chili Peppers filled in for the Foos at the New Orleans Jazz Fest yesterday (May 1), and their set concluded with drummer Chad Smith addressing the crowd.

“We just found out about this two weeks ago, because Foo Fighters were supposed to play here tonight,” began Smith. “We love the Foo Fighters, and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins.”

Smith continued, “So, this means a lot to us to be able to play for them. The guys in the band are here…Taylor’s wife, Alison, is here. We love them, and we love Taylor.” The Chili Peppers drummer then led the crowd in a “We love you, Taylor” chant.

Meanwhile, Hagar and his band The Circle filled in for the Foos at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis on Friday, April 29 where they covered the band’s hit “My Hero.”

Hagar shared via Twitter, “When we were asked by the promoter to fill in for the Foo Fighters at the Beale Street Music Festival, my first reaction was ‘No f—ing way!’ We discussed it as a band, & we came up with ‘Why not! Let’s just go play music and you’re at a big ass Circle party for those people, just do what we do!'”

He continued, “Then with Dave Grohl’s blessings we decided to do a broken down version of one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. No rehearsal. After all this is rock ‘n’ roll and that’s what it’s all about. Enjoy.”

Taylor Hawkins: Live Performance Tributes from Slash, Elton John, Joan Jett & More

• Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

  Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators performed “Starlight” from his 2010’s self-titled album during the band’s March 26 show in Orlando in tribute to Hawkins. Slash said before the performance, “I’m sure most of you are aware that we lost a really close friend of ours last night — Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of the Foo Fighters. First of all, he was a great f—ing guy — a f—ing sweetheart. He was a really good friend and a kickass drummer. [We’re] completely crushed that we’ve lost him. So we wanna do a song tonight and dedicate it to him. ”

• Elton John

  Elton John dedicated “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” to Hawkins during his March 26 show in Des Moine, Iowa. He said before the performance, “I got up this morning to see that Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters had passed away, and I was so shocked because he played on my ‘Lockdown Sessions’ album and he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet and one of the greatest drummers and a true musician who loved all sorts of music and loved life. And it seems so sad that at 50 years of age we’ve lost someone who had that much passion. And it makes me so downhearted for his family — his three children and his wife and his other relatives — and, of course, the Foo Fighters who’ve lost a dearest loved one that can never, ever be replaced. But his music will live on. But I can tell you he was a great, great one. So this song is for him and his family and his wife and his children.”

• Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

  Joan Jett & the Blackheart dedicated “Fragile” to Hawkins during their set at the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival on March 26 in Brookhaen, Ga. Jett was emotional when leading into the song telling the crowd Hawkins was “one of the greatest drummers of our time.”

  Joan Jett’s tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins. She is close to the Foo Fighters and has opened for them on tour. She also fronted Nirvana for their induction into the Rock hall of fame. The song is titled… Fragile. Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival. Atlanta GA 3/26/22 🖤

  Posted by Robert Whitman on Sunday, March 27, 2022

• Miley Cyrus

  Cyrus was visible emotional when honoring Hawkins during her set at Lollapalooza Brazil saying, “We had to make this emergency landing, and the first person I called was Taylor because he was already at the festival. That would’ve been the time that I would’ve gotten to see my friend, and I didn’t, so it makes me really sad I would’ve done anything to hang out with him one more time.” She and her band played “Angels Like You” in honor of Hawkins.

  Miley Cyrus dedicating her show & “Angels Like You” to Taylor Hawkins is the most beautiful thing, she has one of the sweetest souls out there🥺#MileyCyrusNoMultiShow pic.twitter.com/Mgzfyu4BjB

  — Miley Cyrus Media (@Miley_MediaHQ) March 27, 2022

• Mammoth WVH

  Mammoth WVH covered the Foo Fighters hit “My Hero” during their March 26 gig in Boston with Wolfgang Van Halen saying before the performance that Hawkins “…was a hero to me, and a hero to all of us, and a hero to countless people, so we feel this is necessary.”

• Liam Gallagher

  Gallagher closed out his March 26 show at London’s Royal Albert Hall dedicating “Live Forever” to Hawkins.

• Daughtry/Mark Tremonti/Lyell

  Daughtry covered “My Hero” with help from Mark Tremonti and Lyell during their March 26 show in New Orleans.