In a loving tribute to his late father, Oliver Shane Hawkins performs drums on ‘My Hero’ by Foo Fighters in honor of his dad, who lost a battle with cancer.
What was the life of Oliver Shane Hawkins like?
Oliver Shane Hawkins was born in 2006 in America. Growing up, Oliver was always surrounded by music- his father played drums in several bands, and Oliver quickly learned how to play the drums. After high school, Oliver attended college for two years before deciding to travel and work with various drummers across the globe. During this time, he met Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who encouraged him to audition for the band. Oliver joined the group in 2006 and has since played on several of their albums, including their most recent release, Concrete, and Gold. In honor of his late father, Hawkins performed a tribute song entitled “My Hero” during Foo Fighters’ performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony earlier this month.
– his dad died when he was young, and their family suffered from financial hardships
Oliver Shane Hawkins, the drummer for Grammy-nominated rock band Foo Fighters, took to the stage of Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Saturday night (September 22) to play drums on his father’s favorite album, My Hero, in a tribute to Taylor Hawkins. The late Taylor Hawkins was a drummer and founding member of the Foo Fighters.
Hawkins said his father was his hero and that playing drums on My Hero was one way he could honor him. “This is my dad’s favorite record, so it feels like a nice way to kind of pay homage to him as well,” he told Rolling Stone.
The Foo Fighters played an emotional set Saturday night at Staples Center in tribute to their late frontman and longtime friend Taylor Hawkins. Drummer Oliver Shane Hawkins took up the mic during the song “My Hero” and played along with the album as part of a touching tribute highlighted by emotional renditions of songs such as “Learn To Fly” and “Walk.” It was clear that grief had weighed heavy on all involved as they took the stage — even occasional lead singer Dave Grohl, who sported sunglasses throughout most of the set — but they delivered an incredible performance that left everyone in tears by its end.
Who is Taylor Hawkins?
Taylor Hawkins is a drummer and percussionist, best known as the drummer for the American rock band the Foo Fighters. Hawkins was born in Texas, the US, on February 17, 1972.
He is the son of jazz drummer Oliver Shane Hawkins and blues singer/guitarist, Linda Ronstadt. Taylor has two sisters: Tariana and Hollie. Hawkins began playing drums early and was influenced by such drummers as Neil Peart, Ringo Starr, Mitch Mitchell, Rick Nielsen, and Phil Collins. In 1989,
He landed a spot in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth after joining as a roadie and double-bass player. Sonic Youth became one of Hawkins’ most significant musical influences during his time with the group. After Sonic Youth disbanded in 1998, Hawkins formed the Foo Fighters with former Nirvana frontman Dave Grohl in Seattle. The Foo Fighters became one of the biggest names in rock, earning five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for their self-titled debut album (1994). Taylor has also released four solo albums: “Hawkins” (2000), “The Grand Budapest Hotel” soundtrack (2014), “Bad Habit” (2018), and “Foo Fighters LIVE at Wachovia Center: NYC” (2018). In March 2019, it was announce that Hawkins had diagnose with leukemia and would take a break from the band while undergoing treatment.
What was his relationship with Marcus Gresham and other band members?
Oliver Shane Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters, took to the stage during their “My Hero” performance on Monday night (May 20) at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in honor of Taylor Hawkins, the late father of Oliver.
The 16WA-year-old Hawkins said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone that he and his dad were huge fans of the Foo Fighters and would often see them live together. “My favorite memory was probably sneaking backstage once when I was like four or five,” he recalled. “I remember my dad being like, ‘It’s okay, son, they’re nice.’ And then Dave [Grohl] came up to me and gave me a guitar pick.”
Hawkins also pointed out that his dad supported his musical aspirations – something he learned early on. “He was psyche about it, but he didn’t push me in any particular direction,” Hawkins said. “He just wanted me to be happy and do what made me happy.”
Marcus Gresham, the vocalist for the band With The Howling Bells, is one of Oliver’s most significant musical influences. Gresham was also in attendance at Monday’s performance and paid tribute to Hawkins’ father during his set by playing a couple of notes from Taylor’s drumming on “My Hero” before moving on to other songs from their new album.
Foo Fighters tribute to commemorate the late drummer.
On July 17, Foo Fighters perform a tribute to their late drummer Oliver Shane Hawkins, honoring him during the song “My Hero.” The song include as part of the band’s setlist for their shows in Australia and New Zealand in honor of Hawkins. The performance featured Dave Grohl on rhythm guitar and Taylor Hawkins on drums. Frontman Grohl spoke about his father during the concert:
“I just want to do ‘My Hero’ because it’s my dad’s old song, and I think it would’ve made him happy that somebody still playing it.”
The Foo Fighters also released a video of the performance online.
Taylor gave a speech about his father on the stage.
Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters played drums on “My Hero” to honor his late father, Oliver Shane Hawkins. The song was write by Taylor Hawkins and Nate Mendel and dedicate to Taylor’s father. In a speech from the stage, Taylor talked about how his father influenced both him as a musician and a person. He also thanked the fans who honored him and his dad.
Conclusion
Oliver Shane Hawkins played drums on Foo Fighters’ tribute to his late father, Taylor Hawkins, during their song “My Hero” performance at the band’s show in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night. The 16-year-old Hawkins tweeted after the show that it was an honor to play alongside his dad and brother in what he called a special moment.
