Paul McCartney penned a touching tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins who died on March 25.
In a social media post, McCartney wrote:
Taylor’s sudden death came as a shock to me and the people who knew and loved him.
Not only was he a GREAT drummer but his personality was big and shiny and will be sorely missed by all who were lucky to live and work alongside him. I was asked by the Foo Fighters to play on one of their tracks. It turned out that they wanted me to play drums! - on one of Taylor’s songs. This request came from a group with TWO amazing drummers!
It was an incredible session and cemented my relationship with Taylor and the guys. Later they asked if I would induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I sang with them on ‘Get Back’. Taylor provided a powerhouse drum part. I’ll never forget that night. All of which made it much more of a desperately sad shock to hear he had died. So thanks Taylor for sharing some glorious minutes with me. You were a true Rock and Roll hero and will always remain in my heart.
God bless his family and band - Love Paul X
McCartney inducted Foo Fighters into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on October 30, 2021, and performed with the band at the ceremony. The former Beatle also played the drums in “Sunday Rain” off Foo Fighters’ 2017 album, Concrete And Gold—Hawkins was the lead vocalist on the track.
In an interview with Triple M Rock, Hawkins was asked about how he felt about McCartney stepping in on drums, and he responded, “It’s an honor. You have to remember that, at the same time, I got to sing the song so instead of it being—of course it’s an honor. He’s in the freaking Beatles, man. And he played amazingly, and I got to sing on it. So if you really think about it, I almost got to sing on a Beatles song.”