Watch him as he goes! Taylor Hawkins‘ son Shane joined Foo Fighters to perform an emotional rendition of “My Hero” at a London tribute concert for his late father.
At the first of two tribute concerts in Wembley Arena on Saturday, a revolving door of all-star drummers, including Travis Barker, Josh Freese, Rufus Taylor, and Nandi Bushell, among others, honored the life and legacy of the late Hawkins. The final drummer proved to be the most bittersweet, with frontman Dave Grohl welcoming 16-year-old Shane to the stage.
“We have one more drummer that’s going to come up and play with us, and let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone hit the drums as hard as this person,” Grohl said. “But beyond that, he’s a member of our family. And he needs to be here tonight with all of us, and I think it makes sense that he’s going to come up and play with us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome Mr. Shane Hawkins on the drums.”
The band was joined by a star-studded lineup to celebrate the late drummer, who died unexpectedly while on tour in Colombia in March. Liam Gallagher, Dave Chappelle, Stevie Nicks, Elton John, and Jason Sudeikis were among the guests who shared testimonials about Hawkins’ impact.
Grohl opened the event with a moving speech: “Tonight we’ve gathered here to celebrate the life, the music, and the love of our dear friend, our bandmate, our brother Taylor Hawkins,” he said. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could. And for those of you that admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing.”
Ashley Beliveau/Getty Images The late Taylor Hawkins was remembered by the Foo Fighters at a London tribute concert
He continued, “So tonight, we’ve gathered with family and his closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations, to bring you a gigantic f—ing night for a gigantic f—ing person. So, sing. And dance. And laugh. And cry and f—ing scream and make some f—ing noise so he can hear us right now. ‘Cause you know what? It’s gonna be a long f—ing night.”
The second tribute concert for Hawkins will be held stateside at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 27. Watch Shane’s emotional rendition of “My Hero” with his late father’s bandmates in the video above.
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