It’s like losing a brilliant brother
Tributes after Foo Fighters’ drummer dies
Queen’s Roger Taylor led the tributes last night as the world of rock mourned the death of Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The star, who said Taylor was “an inspirational mentor” to his son Rufus, added: “Like losing a younger favourite brother. He was a kind brilliant man and the best friend one could ever have.”
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, 81, also paid tribute.
He said: “God bless Taylor peace and love to all his family and the band peace and love.”
Taylor, 50, whose death police believe may be drugs related, was found in a hotel room at Casa
Medina in Colombia’s capital Bogota on Friday.
The Foo Fighters were due to play at the Estereo Picnic festival in Bogota that day, alongside The Libertines and The Strokes.
A video of Taylor’s last concert with frontman Dave Grohl and the band in Argentina has gone
viral. Taylor, who joined Foo Fighters in 1997, stepped to the front of the stage and sang Queen’s Somebody to Love.
Queen guitarist Brian May said on Twitter he was “heartbroken” to lose his “friend, brother, our beloved child”.
Taylor, father to Oliver, 16, and
Annabelle, 13, overdosed on heroin and fell into a coma in 2001.
Music stars took to Twitter to pay tribute to Taylor.
Liam Gallagher said he was “absolutely devastated to hear the sad news” and Ozzy Osbourne added Taylor was “a great person and an amazing musician”.
In a statement, Foo Fighters wrote: “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 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.”