Mr Hawkins died on Friday aged 50 in Bogota, with the Foo Fighters having been due to play a music festival in the Columbian capital. The legendary drummer’s cause of death is unknown though Colombian investigators say that a toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in Mr Hawkins body, including opioids and marijuana. The investigators did not specify whether the mix of drugs was a factor in the Foo Fighter’s death.
Mr Hawkins’ passing was announced by the Foo Fighters in a statement, in which the band said they were “devastated” by the loss and asked for his family to be given privacy.
The drummer joined the band in 1997 and has writing credits on a number of the Foo Fighters’ most loved songs.
Their international success led Mr Hawkins to rub shoulders with a number of A-listers and at times even royalty.
While performing at a private concert in London, the band crossed paths with Harry.
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During the encounter the prince hilariously slapped Mr Hawkins across the face to help battle the drummer’s jet lag, prompting the musician to playfully deliver a foul mouthed retort at the royal.
Speaking on the Howard Stern show in 2014 Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl said: “We have hung out with [Harry] before.
“He smacked Taylor in the face one time. How hard was that smack in the face?”
Mr Hawkins joked: “It f**** me off actually”.
Mr Hawkins gestured that the Duke of Sussex slapped him across the face.
The slap prompted a hilarious foul mouthed reaction from the musician.
Mr Hawkins recalled: “I went, ‘You motherf***er.’
“And he went, ‘Are you awake now?’ And I’m like ‘Yeah’”
Mr Hawkins added: “I mean I got slapped in the face by the prince. That’s okay if you think about it.
“But in the moment I was like ‘He f***ing slapped me”.
The world of rock has paid tribute to Mr Hawkins since his passing.
Ozzy Osbourn said Mr Hawkins was an “amazing musician” while Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger labelled the news as “incredibly sad”.
Poignant footage of Mr Hawkins’ last show at Lollapalooza in Argentina last week has also emerged in which Mr Grohl piles praise on his bandmate.
Addressing the crowd, Mr Grohl said: “There’s one more person you can’t forget.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Taylor Hawkins plays the drums in the Foo Fighters.
“You know the best thing about Taylor Hawkins? He’s the best drummer in the world. We love him so much.”
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