“My deepest thanks and admiration go out to the global Foo Fighters community, and Taylor [Hawkins] ‘s fans far and wide for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor,” Alison Hawkins, the wife of the late Foo Fighters drummer, said in a message posted Wednesday, June 8. It marked the first statement from Taylor’s widow since his untimely death on March 25 at age 50. In the weeks following the terrible loss, Alison said that the fans’ “kindness has been an invaluable comfort for my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief.”
“As Taylor’s wife, and on behalf of our children, I want to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to ‘knocking your socks off’ during every performance,” she wrote in the statement, “Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We considered every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.”
“Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created,” continued his widow. “In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us.”
Alison closed her message with a touch of gratitude to all those who have helped her and the three children she shares with Taylor during these trying times. “Thank you again for your love and sympathy. Taylor loved all of you [and] we love you too.”
This message arrived on the heels of the Foo Fighters’ announcement of two “global event” tribute concerts for Taylor. “Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, and Rami Jaffee will come together with the Hawkins family to celebrate the life, music, and love of their husband, father, brother, and bandmate with The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts,” the band said on its website.
“Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized,” the statement said. “The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family, and of course his Foo Fighters brothers in celebration of Taylor’s memory and his legacy as a global rock icon—his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.”
The all-star rock shows will take place on September 3 at London’s Wembley Stadium and on September 27 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. Tickets go on sale on June 17.