Taylor Hawkins

In addition to his drumming duties with the Foo Fighters, Hawkins is also an accomplished rock singer, guitarist and pianist. His first lead vocal with the group was a cover of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar". Two versions of the song were released, one as the b-side to "Learn to Fly" and another on the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack album. He sang lead vocals on the original "Cold Day in the Sun," from In Your Honor, which was later released as a single, and the cover of Cream's "I Feel Free," which appeared as the b-side of "DOA" and on the EP Five Songs and a Cover. Hawkins also sang lead vocals for the band's cover of Joe Walsh's "Life of Illusion." Most recently, he sang lead vocals for "Sunday Rain," a track on the Foo Fighters' 2017 album Concrete and Gold. Many Foo Fighters live shows feature Hawkins singing lead vocals on at least one cover song. He now also contributes with songwriting, he co-wrote songs like "All My Life".

In March 2014, Hawkins announced his new side project called The Birds of Satan. It features Hawkins' drum technician and bandmate from Chevy Metal, Wiley Hodgden on bass guitar and vocals as well as guitarist Mick Murphy also of Chevy Metal. The band's self-titled debut album was released in April 2014, with a release party at 'Rock n Roll Pizza' featuring the Foo Fighters guesting on some of the cover tracks.

Hawkins recorded the drums on Vasco Rossi's last song, "L'uomo più semplice." This song was released on 21 January 2013 in Italy.

In June 2012, it was announced that Hawkins was cast in the role of Iggy Pop in the rock film CBGB.

They reside in Hidden Hills, California after moving from Topanga Canyon in 2012.

In 2011, Hawkins recorded drums for songs by Vasco Rossi.

Hawkins appears on Slash's solo album Slash, released in 2010, providing backing vocals on the track "Crucify the Dead," featuring Ozzy Osbourne.

When Hawkins joined the band, they were only playing at clubs or opening slots for other bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now they have been touring for nearly 25 years, playing at sold-out stadium concerts. Their biggest concert was reportedly a two-night sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London, where they performed for approximately 86,000 people in 2008.

Hawkins played "YYZ" with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush on stage at a concert in Toronto on March 22, 2008.

Hawkins was commissioned to complete an unfinished recording of a song by Beach Boys' drummer Dennis Wilson titled "Holy Man" by writing and singing new lyrics. The recording was released in June 2008 as part of a deluxe edition of Wilson's lone 1977 solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue.

At Live Earth in 2007, Hawkins was part of SOS Allstars with Roger Taylor of Queen and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In 2006, Hawkins released a self-titled LP with his side project, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. He occasionally plays with a Police cover band alternately called "The Cops" and "Fallout."

Hawkins and his wife, Alison Hawkins, have three children. Their son, Oliver Shane, was born in 2006; their daughter, Annabelle, was born in winter, 2009; and their second daughter, Everleigh, was born in November, 2014.

Hawkins overdosed on heroin in 2001, which put him in a coma for two weeks. Speaking to Beats 1 host Matt Wilkinson in 2018 about the incident, Hawkins said: “I was partying a lot. I wasn’t a junkie per se, but I was partying. There was a year where the partying just got a little too heavy. Thank God on some level this guy gave me the wrong line with the wrong thing one night and I woke up going, ‘What the fuck happened?’ That was a real changing point for me.”

Hawkins played on the track "Cyborg," from Queen guitarist Brian May's 1998 solo album, Another World; he also played drums at VH1's Rock Honors 2006 while Queen performed "We Will Rock You." He sang backing vocals on the Queen + Paul Rodgers single, "C-lebrity."

After touring through the spring of 1996, Foo Fighters entered a Seattle studio with producer Gil Norton to record its second album. Conflict during studio recording reportedly erupted between Dave Grohl and drummer William Goldsmith, eventually causing Goldsmith to leave the band. The band regrouped in Los Angeles and almost completely re-recorded the album with Grohl on drums. The album, The Colour and the Shape, was released on May 20, 1997. Grohl called up Hawkins to recommend a new drummer, thinking that Hawkins would not leave Alanis Morissette since it's a bigger band compared to Foo Fighters, which was only starting at the time. But to Grohl's surprise, Hawkins volunteered himself, explaining that he wanted to be a drummer in a rock band, not a solo act which Alanis Morissette is. He then auditioned for and subsequently joined the band. On March 18, 1997, Hawkins' joining of the band was announced. Hawkins made his debut in time for the album's release.

Between 1995 and 1996, Hawkins was the drummer for Canadian musician Alanis Morissette for her Can't Not tour. He appeared in Morissette's videos for "You Oughta Know", "All I Really Want" and "You Learn". He also appeared on Morissette's VHS/DVD Jagged Little Pill, Live (1997). Hawkins played for Alanis Morissette for 18 months prior to joining Foo Fighters.

It was thanks to Rush that I got into Genesis. After listening to Neil, I bought the Seconds Out live album, which was released in 1977. It's just amazing. Not only hearing Phil Collins playing the drums, but also singing. He gets a really bad rap from some people for 'daring' to take over after Peter Gabriel quit, but you just hear the way he sounds here. The beauty of this album is that it's got songs from …Trick Of The Tail, the first album Genesis did without Gabriel. Collins is an incredible drummer. Anyone who wants to be good on the drums should check him out – the man is a master.

Oliver Taylor Hawkins (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Foo Fighters. Prior to joining the band in 1997, he was the touring drummer for Alanis Morissette as well as the drummer in a progressive experimental band Sylvia. In 2004, Hawkins formed his own side project, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, in which he plays drums and sings. He was voted "Best Rock Drummer" in 2005 by the United Kingdom drumming magazine Rhythm.

Oliver Taylor Hawkins was born in Fort Worth, Texas on February 17, 1972. His family moved to Laguna Beach, California in 1976, where Hawkins grew up. Hawkins has a brother, Jason, and a sister, Heather. He attended Thurston Jr. High School and later went to Laguna Beach High School. After leaving the Orange County-based band Sylvia (later emerging as ANYONE), he joined up as the drummer for Canadian, Sass Jordan. In an interview with BBC Radio 6, Hawkins revealed that playing drums for Jordan was his "first real gig". He then left to act as the drummer for Alanis Morissette.