Foo Fighters Deny That Taylor Hawkins Expressed Concerns Over Grueling Tour Schedule Before His Death

It’s been almost two months since Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away in his hotel room at the age of 50. We still don’t have an official cause of death — though according to a toxicology report, Hawkins had marijuana, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids in his system at the time — but thanks to a new, extensive report by Rolling Stone, we have a clearer picture of the musician’s final days.

According to his friends and family members, Hawkins had grown increasingly uncomfortable with the Foo Fighters’ grueling tour schedule in the months leading up to his death. They claim he met with Dave Grohl to discuss scaling back the band’s tour dates because life on the road had become too physically demanding for him.

“He had a heart-to-heart with Dave and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t fucking do it anymore’ — those were his words,” Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron told Rolling Stone. “So I guess they did come to some understanding, but it just seems like the touring schedule got even crazier after that.”

The publication also mentions a December 2021 incident during which Hawkins allegedly lost consciousness on a plane in Chicago. “He just said he was exhausted and collapsed, and they had to pump him full of IVs and stuff,” Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith said. “He was dehydrated and all kinds of stuff.” Smith also claims that Hawkins later told him, “I can’t do it like this anymore.”

“That was one of the straws that broke the camel’s back,” he added. “After that, he had a real important heart-to-heart with Dave and the management. He said, ‘I can’t continue on this schedule, and so we’ve got to figure out something.’”

Interestingly, the Foo Fighters, through a representative, have denied any of this ever happened. Grohl and the rest of the band declined comment to Rolling Stone, but a Foo Fighters spokesperson denied that Hawkins ever lost consciousness on the plane. Similarly, they deny that Hawkins ever met with Grohl to discuss scaling back their tour dates. “No, there was never a ‘heart-to-heart’ — or any sort of meeting on this topic — with Dave and [Silva Artist Management],” the band’s representative said.

We may never figure out who’s not telling the truth here; the only information we have is secondhand. It’s possible Hawkins did tell friends he was planning on having a “heart-to-heart” with Grohl but then never actually did. But regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that a great drummer is gone far too soon.

Update: Matt Cameron has issued a statement claiming that his comments to Rolling Stone were taken out of context.

“When I agreed to take part in the Rolling Stone article about Taylor, I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work,” he writes. “My quotes were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended. Taylor was a dear friend, and a next level artist. I miss him. I have only the deepest love and respect for Taylor, Dave and the Foo Fighters families. I am truly sorry to have taken part in this interview and I apologize that my participation may have caused harm to those for whom I have only the deepest respect and admiration.”