Dave Grohl Admits Music Became His Lifeline After Taylor Hawkins Died: “Made Me Question Everything About Life”

A member of both Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl had the honor of sharing the stage with greats like Kurt Cobain and Taylor Hawkins. Sadly, Grohl’s time in the spotlight came with a great deal of pain as Cobain passed away in 1994 and Hawkins died in 2022. Having to mourn the death of two friends, Grohl recently discussed the impact the loss had on his mental health and how he used music as an escape. 

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For most people, music is a place where they often forget their problems. Able to cut through the noise and bring harmony once again, fans consistently praise music for helping ground them. Speaking with Mojo, Grohl said, “That threw our world upside down and made me question everything about life, that it was so… It was so unfair. I still have a hard time making sense of it.”

On March 25, 2022, the Foo Fighters were preparing to take the stage at the Festival Estéreo Picnic in Bogotá, Colombia. But the band soon learned that Hawkins had passed away in his hotel room. As the news of the musician’s death circulated online, Grohl explained how the rest of the band gathered at the hotel to simply “drink” and “cry.” 

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Dave Grohl Remembered That Music “Saved Us Once Before”

As for how Grohl coped with the loss of his friend. “I think I was afraid of silence, afraid of having to feel. I could have used a bit more of the silence, a bit more of digging deeper.” He continued, “I never want to say music is a distraction, but I was definitely using it as a crutch for some broken limb.”

With Grohl relying on music to help him navigate his emotions, the band had a tough decision to make. Not entirely sure what the future held, fans anxiously awaited to see if the Foo Fighters continued after Hawkins. 

Deciding to push forward, Grohl promised it had to be done. “We realized this was something we needed to do. Because it had saved us once before.”

Although the loss of Hawkins continues to weigh heavily on the band, Grohl knew moving forward with music was the only path that made sense. For him, stepping back on stage wasn’t about running from the pain but honoring the friends he had lost along the way.

(Photo by Richard Dobson/Newspix/Getty Images)