As most Grammy Awards viewers were sadly aware, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was supposed to be pounding his kit with the band at this year’s ceremony. Tragically, though, less than two weeks ago, Hawkins, 50, was found dead in a Bogota, Colombia, hotel room.
During Sunday’s Grammys ceremony, the Recording Academy opened its annual In Memoriam tribute package by honoring Hawkins, with still images and video of Hawkins smiling and performing. “I realized that to be a good drummer you also needed to be a good athlete,” he said over clips of his furious drumming.
The telecast then honored other musicians and industry professionals who died in the past year through the songs of the late composer Stephen Sondheim. Singers Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler performed “Not a Day Goes By,” “Send in the Clowns” and “Somewhere” as images of the fallen appeared.
Among those honored were Mexican icon Vicente Fernández, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, rapper DMX, funk singer Betty Davis, Meat Loaf, dub great Lee “Scratch” Perry, Don Everly, Ronnie Spector, rapper Young Dolph, Nanci Griffith, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, soul singer Lloyd Price, writer Greg Tate and Mike Nesmith of the Monkees.
L.A. rapper Drakeo the Ruler, who was killed in December at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival, was not included in the In Memoriam segment.
Hawkins’ passing was felt throughout Grammy day. During the daytime Premiere Ceremony, Foo Fighters won all three trophies for which it was nominated: “Medicine at Midnight” for rock album, “Waiting on a War” for rock song, and “Making a Fire” for rock performance.
Members of Foo Fighters were not present to accept their awards.
During the primetime ceremony, Billie Eilish honored Hawkins by wearing a black T-shirt with his image on it during her ferocious performance of her nominated song “Happier Than Ever.”