Chad Smith and Matt Cameron have apologised to the Foo Fighters following comments they made about their late drummer Taylor Hawkins in the wake of his shock death at the age of 50.
In case you missed it, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam drummers spoke to Rolling Stone about the death of Hawkins, which occurred on March 25th in Bogotá, Colombia as the Foo Fighters were touring.
The article discussed Hawkins’ final days, while seemingly discussing that he had been under huge pressure amid a gruelling touring schedule prior to his devastating demise.
“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,” 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.”
Elsewhere, Cameron said, “[A band like that] is a big machine [with] a lot of people on the payroll. So you’ve got to really be cognisant of the business side of something when it’s that big and that has inherent pressure, just like any business” and “He tried to keep up. He just did whatever it took to keep up, and in the end he couldn’t keep up.”
“[Foo Fighters] were the first ones to go back at it super hard, and [Taylor and I] definitely had discussions about that,” Cameron also said in the article. “He was a little apprehensive, understandably, just because of all the Covid bullshit that was going on. So there was all these different factors that were weighing on him stepping back into the ring.”
Following the story’s release, Foo Fighters’ representatives denied any such conversations took place, saying, “there was never a heart-to-heart — or any sort of meeting on this topic — with Dave and [Silva Artist Management].” They also denied reports that Hawkins was rushed to the hospital in December 2021 after losing consciousness on a plane in Chicago.
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“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,” Cameron wrote in the statement, which was posted on his social media accounts. “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.”
He added that he was sorry to have “caused harm to those for whom I have only the deepest respect and admiration.”
Meanwhile, Smith explained, “Taylor was one of my best friends and I would do anything for his family.”
He then apologised “to his family and musical friends for any pain this may have caused.”
He added, “I miss Taylor every day.”
For more on this topic, follow the Foo Fighters Observer or the Classic Rock Observer.
Check out Matt Cameron’s statement about his comments on Taylor Hawkins below:
